After jumping into the original content game two years ago, Epix is giving the axe to its first scripted comedy series. Graves, which starred Nick Nolte as an ex-president suddenly remorseful for the things he did in office decades prior, has been cancelled after just two seasons. This means no Season 3 of the series will be happening, at least on the premium channel. Somewhat surprisingly, the show got the boot at a time when television with a political spin seems to be flourishing.
As mentioned, Graves centered around ex-President Richard Graves who (two decades after his exit from office) began to regret his legacy and the things he stood for as President of the United States. This came as a surprise to his mostly conservative family, especially his wife Margaret (played by Sela Ward) who was attempting to set out with political ambitions of her own. Season 2 came to an end after 10 episodes of Graves looking inside himself to discover the man he was before becoming President. Sadly for fans, that season finale will now serve as the series finale.
Graves is comparable to a more political version of Veep, although the series did not have the massive award-winning success of that HBO series. While Graves wasn't showered in love from the Emmys, Star Nick Nolte did gain some awards show recognition when he was nominated for the 2017 Golden Globe for Best Actor in the category of Television Series Musical or Comedy. Nolte's portrayal of ex-president Graves was lauded by critics as a high point of the series, with Sela Ward's Margaret coming in a close second. While the show was mostly comprised of actors, Graves occasionally brought in real-life pundits and politicians such as former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and CNN's Jake Tapper to heighten the realism of the series.
With Graves officially at an end after 20 episodes, there are only two shows that remain as part of Epix's jump into original programming. One of them, Get Shorty, premiered in August and was renewed for Season 2 not long after the debut of its third episode. The other series, Berlin Station, was just renewed for Season 3 a couple weeks ago and is expected to premiere sometime in late 2018. It's unknown whether or not Graves is able to jump networks should the show want to continue making episodes elsewhere, or if anyone presently involved with the series is up to continue the series beyond its Season 2 finale.
While it is cancelled, Graves is currently still available to stream on Epix's on-demand service. For a look at what's coming to television in the next few weeks, be sure to visit and bookmark our fall premiere guide and midseason premiere guide. Those curious to see what other shows got kicked off of television in 2017 can visit our cancellation guide.
