Things We Saw Today: FX Head Talks ‘Y: The Last Man’ Cancellation

Peak TV can be a cruel and unforgiving landscape. With more content available than ever before, it’s all the more difficult for new shows to break out and capture an audience. One casualty of the competitive field is FX’s adaptation of the graphic novel series Y: The Last Man. FX pulled the plug on the series halfway through its first season, well before the show could find and build an audience. Showrunner Eliza Clark tried to find a new home for the series, but was unable to find a network to take on the dystopian drama.

FX chairman John Landgraf discussed the controversial decision during a panel at the Television Critics Association. Landgraf addressed not only the low viewership, but the steep drop-off in viewers following the pilot. “One of the key things we assess, and have assessed, is the trajectory of a show across a season from the first episode to the last episode,” Landgraf told the TCA. “I really love it personally, I really admired all the work that went into it. But its audience decline was really, really steep.”

Landgraf also had to contend with the cost of extending the contracts of the actors, which would have reportedly cost $3 million. The options, which expired on October 15, placed a time clock on the success of the series. Contracts had already been renewed previously, thanks to a development delays and the pandemic. It’s an unfortunate case of bad timing for the promising series, which built a slow burn going into the finale. For fans who still wonder how the series would have ended up, Clark discussed her plans in an appearance on the Boars, Gore, & Swords podcast:

(via THR, image: FX)

• Tom Holland’s Uncharted wins the box office with $44 million dollar haul. (via Variety)
• Supergirl‘s Melissa Benoist is in talks to star in new HBO Max series ‘Girls on the Bus’. (via /Film)
• Dragon Ball Super? Dragon Ball Super. (via Comicbook.com)

• BET is reuniting the cast of Martin for a 30th anniversary special. (via Shadow and Act)
• James Gunn, like us, loves television. (via io9)
• The Riddler uses social media to troll Batman/our comments section. (via CBR)

Wishing you a smooth Sunday, Sue Believers!

Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!

—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com

Author

Close

Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

twitter