Back in 2012, Lilyhammer was a shiny new example of what Netflix could do with original programming. The show starred The Sopranos actor and E Street band member Steven Van Zandt as he continued a life of mafia crime and leisure while in witness protection in Lillehammer, Norway. As of today, three seasons of the series are available for streaming over at Netflix, but Van Zandt has announced that Netflix has decided not to renew Lilyhammer for Season 4.
While Netflix doesn’t officially release ratings to the public, Lilyhammer never earned the buzz that a lot of other programs, from House of Cards to Orange is the New Black, have gotten during their respective tenures with the subscription streaming service. While we don’t have official ratings from the streaming service, we do know that Lilyhammer has been less popular than Daredevil, which reportedly saw more than 10% of Netflix users tune in for the premiere (according to outside research). Now that Netflix is pouring money into a lot of other originals, Lilyhammer may have been left by the wayside (especially with all of the action-oriented Marvel content coming up).
Still, the viewership may not have been the culprit for the cancellation. While Van Zandt seems to be proud of the effort he and the creative team put into the first three seasons of the drama, he’s a bit more ominous in his tweet when it comes to explaining why Netflix opted not to pick up a fourth season of the program. “Business got too complicated,” could mean any number of things, from the creative end to the monetary end. We’ll let you know if the service eventually makes a statement regarding the cancellation or if we learn more about why Lilyhammer was given the boot.
In the meantime, if you haven’t caught Lilyhammer, it’s a pretty cool foray into original programming. During its three-season run, notable names like Bruce Springsteen and Paul Kaye have appeared on the show. And its setting and premise are unusual for a TV program. There are still three seasons of the show available to binge-watch, whenever you want to give it a shot.
It's unfortunate that Lilyhammer was cancelled. However, if you are looking to add the series to your dvd or blu-ray collection, you can check that out here.
