The Royals Canceled at E! After Four Seasons!
Carissa Pavlica
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At a time the royal family is as popular as ever, The Royals has been canceled at E! network.
As it was their last remaining (and first) scripted program, the cancelation leaves them with only reality programming for now.
Deadline reports producing studio Lionsgate TV has been shopping the drama around to other networks with Pop a possibility for a fifth season.
As the real royal family has been an inspiration for The Royals and with Meghan Markles' introduction this year, the timing seems off for a network otherwise focused on celebrity.
Related: 17 TV Characters We'd Want as Bridesmaids!
Markle surely brought in a sizeable audience while on Suits and an even larger one as she married into the royal without a capital R family.
It wouldn't surprise anyone if The Royals wanted to introduce a new Hollywood celebrity of their own into the storyline.
There was also a behind-the-scenes scandal introduced that could have come into play for the cancelation.
At the height of the revelations of those who behaved badly toward women, series creator, executive producer, and showrunner Mark Schwahn was fired as a result of allegations that took place over more than a decade.
While The Royals Season 4 had already finished filming at that time, perhaps E! felt bringing the gang back together would be too much.
The network put a lot more thought into this cancelation than they did The Arrangement, though, which was canceled in May although both series ended that same month.
Even though The Royals Season 4 was down about 22% in the ratings, with the recent royal fervor, a fifth season could do a lot to capitalize on it.
Related: The Arrangement: Canceled at E! After Two Seasons
That may be a reason another network would be willing to pick it up. Pop has kept Schitt's Creek on the air for going on five seasons. While the cast isn't as large as The Royals, they likely don't have the same ratings expectations as E!.
It's unclear if E! Will continue with scripted series or not, but they do have one pilot to review, Juicy Stories, about friends who invest $200 to set up a boutique they eventually sell to Liz Claiborne for $50 million.
What do you think about the cancelation?
Will you watch The Royals online if it goes to another network?
Do you hope the series continues?
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
