Fresh of news of some new pilot orders and some renewals that made Marvel fans happy last night, now comes some not-so-good news for fans of two genre-leaning shows. Despite clamoring from a small yet loyal fanbase, NBC has opted to cancel the DC Comics adaptation Constantine. The series was developed by David S. Goyer and Daniel Cerone and starred Matt Ryan as the titular demon hunter, but it failed to catch on with audiences or critics in a significant way.
The creators retooled the pilot after the show got a series pickup, killing off a character played by Lucy Griffiths who was initially intended to be a supporting character. But even director Neil Marshall couldn’t turn the pilot into something that caught on with look-in viewers, and the ratings dipped in the second episode.
There may yet be a sliver of hope, however, as Cerone tweeted the following:
Given how popular comics characters are on the small screen, I’d say Constantine’s chances of finding a new home are slightly possible, but its dark tone and lack of a “superhero” makes it an oddball when compared to successful shows like The Flash or Arrow.
Additionally, Fox has finally brought down the axe on The Following, creator Kevin Williamson’s serial killer thriller that seemed to grow more preposterous with each episode. Kevin Bacon led the drama, which scored solid ratings in its freshman run but dipped significantly in season two. In its third season, it was regularly the lowest-rated non-CW program on Monday nights, and so Fox has opted to put it out to pasture. The two-hour series finale will air on May 18th.
