Showtime has opted not to go forward on period drama “The Borgias,” announcing Wednesday that the show’s June 16 season-ender will be its final episode.
The show, which chronicled the infamous dynastic family and was shot entirely on location in Budapest, hasn’t been a ratings grabber in its three seasons. Its most recent episode last Sunday drew a season-best 804,000 viewers for its premiere airing, according to Nielsen, though Showtime says that it has accumulated 2.4 million viewers per week if you include viewings on all platforms.
“Borgias” was created by Neil Jordan and stars Jeremy irons as Pope Alexander VI, the family’s manipulative patriarch. Cast also includes François Arnaud, Holliday Grainger, Joanne Whalley, Lotte Verbeek, Sean Harris, Thure Lindhart, Gina McKee, Peter Sullivan, Julian Bleach and Colm Feore.
“It has been an honor to work with the great Neil Jordan and the incomparable Jeremy Irons on ‘The Borgias,’ ” said David Nevins, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc. “Neil has written nearly every episode of this series himself. His extraordinary storytelling combined with Jeremy’s fascinating portrayal of the infamous Pope Alexander VI, has made for truly outstanding television that will live on. I look forward to future collaborations.”
The show has earned 10 Emmy nominations to date, earning two awards in its second season for outstanding costumes and original main-title theme music.
