Starz is generally better known for its original dramas than for its original comedies, but it has struck comedic gold a few times in recent years. Blunt Talk, for one, could boast a killer cast, smart scripts, and a talented team behind the scenes to bring the laughs. Unfortunately, however, not enough people tuned in to catch all those laughs, and Starz has officially cancelled the series after two seasons.
Blunt Talk first hit the airwaves back in August 2015 with its first season premiere, and it had the potential to grab a niche audience with its somewhat bizarre humor and perhaps even attract awards attention. Sadly, not even the unique combination of humor and gravitas courtesy of Sir Patrick Stewart garnered any wins for major awards. The show just never won the audience it needed for Starz to order a renewal.
Frankly, Blunt Talk may not have gotten a second season if not for the fact that Starz gave it a straight-to-series order for twenty episodes over two seasons right away. The premium cable channel skipped the pilot process and gambled that Blunt Talk would be a hit. The gamble failed to pay off with the ratings. THR reports that the series finale drew only 134,000 - no, that's not missing a 0 - viewers on December 11, and a ratings tally 3 days after the airing indicates that the finale only scored a 0.4 in the valuable 18 - 49 age demographic. Ratings don't matter as much for premium cable networks as they do for broadcast networks, but still, a Live+3 rating of 0.4 in the 18 - 49 demo for a season finale would make it hard to justify a third season.
The Blunt Talk cancellation is undoubtedly sad for viewers who became attached to Patrick Stewart as Walter Blunt, but series creator Jonathan Ames was almost certainly prepared for the news. In a recent AMA, Ames revealed that he was pretty much expecting the show not to be renewed for a Season 3. He explained that although those who watch it seem to love it, not enough watched on a regular basis.
The comedy centered on the British television producer Walter Blunt, who crossed the pond to the U.S. with the aim to conquer American cable news. He discovered that success in the cable news sector isn't quite as easy as he expected, and his habitual drug use didn't exactly help. Patrick Stewart starred as Walter Blunt, and the series was executive produced by Jonathan Ames and Seth MacFarlane. The cast was rounded out by Richard Lewis, Golden Brooks, and Ed Begley, Jr.
Starz still has some comedy offerings in the wake of the Blunt Talk cancellation. Ash vs. Evil Dead and Survivor's Remorse remain on the roster for the network. Check out our midseason TV premiere schedule to see what other series you can catch on the small screen in the near future.
