Hulu Cancels Major Show After 3 Seasons

The Great fans are going to be in a terrible mood. TVLine confirms that Hulu has canceled the historical satire after three seasons. Initially premiering in 2020, the series was created by Australian playwright and screenwriter Tony McNamara. It’s also based on his 2008 play of the same name. The first season received mostly positive reviews, and the following two seasons have even received critical acclaim. A reason for the cancelation hasn’t been given, but it proves that no matter how many Emmy nominations or how much praise a series gets, no show is safe.

Loosely based on Catherine the Great’s rise to power, The Great‘s cancellation comes just a few months after Season 3 dropped on Hulu in May. The recent episodes saw Nicholas Hoult’s Peter III falling through thin ice with his horse, seemingly killed off. Additional cast included Elle Fanning as a young Catherine, Phoebe Fox, Sacha Dhawan, Charity Wakefield, Gwilym Lee, Adam Godley, Douglas Hodge, Belinda Bromilow, Bayo Gbadamosi, Florence Keith-Roach, Freddie Fox, and Grace Molony.

Considering how wildly loved and critically acclaimed The Great is, the cancellation is definitely shocking news. The series currently has a 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 85 percent for audience score. It doesn’t seem like the series was planning on ending any time soon, as it would have been interesting to see the aftermath of Peter’s death. The series does still have one more Emmy nomination left, as it is in the running for Outstanding Period Costumes for the Primetime Creative Arts Emmys. With the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, it’s unknown when the ceremony will take place, but fans will hopefully be able to look forward to the series taking home the Emmy for a second year in a row.

It’s always possible that this isn’t the end of The Great. Plenty of shows have switched platforms and have been rescued for new seasons, even if it’s only just an additional one to wrap things up. Since the series is so big, it might be getting shopped around elsewhere. As of now, there isn’t anything that indicates that’s the case, but fans can always hope. For now, though, Catherine the Great’s story is completed, albeit with a few loose ends. It’s never easy when a show gets canceled. It has been happening way too much lately, and no show is safe, no matter what.