NBC has formally cancelled “Constantine” after a low-rated 13-episode first season.
But if fans of the DC Comics series are looking for hope, showrunner Daniel Cerone is willing to offer it:
NBC a “no” for Season 2. Warner Bros working hard to find #Constantine new home. Stay active. Stream. Tweet. #SaveConstantine #Hellblazers
– Daniel Cerone (@DanielVCerone) May 8, 2015
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Cerone has spent weeks actively stirring up optimism from fans, even if the numbers haven't really justified much call for such peppiness.
In its first season, “Constantine” averaged 5 million viewers and a 1.6 rating among adults 18-49 in Live+7 Day figures, numbers that placed the “Hellblazer” adaptation slightly below what “Dracula” did before its cancellation after one season last year.
However, just as “Hannibal” has been able to weather two seasons of minuscule ratings due to studio support, “Constantine” has the strong interest of DC and WBTV, albeit without the international money that actually makes “Hannibal” so appealing to NBC.
So who knows? After all, “The Mindy Project” was cancelled by FOX, but it remains in play at Hulu, though Universal TV's investment in getting that comedy over a syndication hump might be greater than DC maintaining one of the less successful jewels in its TV crown.
Although it's unlikely to cause as much consternation, NBC also confirms the cancellation for the Katherine Heigl drama “State of Affairs,” which struggled to hold onto its “The Voice” lead-in during a late-fall run.
Stay tuned for more pre-upfronts fun…
NBC will unveil its full schedule on Sunday, May 10.
BubbleWatch 2015 Gallery Updated With All The Announced Renewals & Cancellations.