While AMC has scored a huge hit with The Walking Dead, the network has also produced a lot of shows with small audiences but good buzz. This week we learned that Halt and Catch Fire, the period drama that takes us back into the eighties when computer companies were still young and figuring it out, will be ending. It's not all bad news, however. AMC actually went ahead and renewed the series for a fourth and final season before pulling the plug on the drama.
Halt and Catch Fire is currently airing its third season on AMC. The new season has notably featured a move to California and Silicon Valley and its storyline has changed up considerably as a result. There hasn't been a boon in viewership to reflect the changes, however. Halt and Catch Fire was never a real ratings-bringer for the network, but during Season 3 the ratings have eroded from around half a million Live+ same day viewers to only around 300, 000 or so viewers. It's no wonder the network has decided to end the series, but it's telling that the drama will be back for one more round, first.
AMC is clearly a fan of Halt and Catch Fire. The show has an incredible cast, featuring Lee Pace, Scoot McNairy, Mackenzie Davis, Kerry Bishe and others. It's also incredibly paced and well-written and has some of the most interesting female characters on TV. The drama has also been on the peripherals of awards, although it should be noted it hasn't been an annual favorite like Mad Men was.
AMC has faced some real challenges in recent weeks. Only a short time ago, analysts began speaking about the gap between investor expectations and the actual popularity of the product the cable network is putting out. While AMC has a big hit in The Walking Dead and reasonable hits in Fear The Walking Dead and Better Call Saul, there are a lot of shows on the network that haven't been making a mark. Halt and Catch Fire's ratings are super low. Hell on Wheels was a huge performer in comparison, bringing in at list 1.5 million total viewers each outing, but even those numbers weren't enough and that show ended its run. AMC also recently gave the same treatment to Turn: Washington's Spies, an historical drama that started out with okay ratings but also dropped over time. Like Halt and Catch Fire, it has been given a fourth and final season to finish out its storyline.
We'll have to wait and see if AMC can fill the gap, as it looks like a slew of its original programs will be ending around the same time. Luckily, if you are a fan of Halt and Catch Fire, it's not going anywhere, yet. The two-hour finale airs on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. To find out what else is coming to the network this fall, check out our TV premiere schedule.
