‘Y: The Last Man’ Officially Cancelled After Failing to Find New Home

After FX canceled Y: The Last Man in October, fans were hopeful that the ambitious science fiction series would find a new home. Sadly that’s not the case, as showrunner Eliza Clark announced on Twitter. Clark tweeted, “For those of you who have been asking me: we tried really hard to get another platform to pick up season 2 of Y. But sadly, it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. It is always incredibly difficult to move a show, and in recent years, it has only gotten harder. (thread) So many of you have been so supportive of the show, and I am so grateful to you. I love the group of artists who made Y truly, madly, deeply. It was the best creative work environment I’ve ever been a part of. I am immensely proud of the work that we did.”

Clark added, “I wondered whether to tweet this at all. It feels a little self important to announce that your canceled show is still canceled. But it’s the beginning of a new year, and it’s time for me to write the next thing. I’ll always love Y. It’ll always be the one that got away.”

Adapted from Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerrara’s comic book series of the same name, Y: The Last Man spent years in development, first as a film and then as a series. Season one saw a cataclysmic event that wiped out every living being with a Y chromosome, save for amateur escape artist Yorick (Ben Schnetzer) and his capuchin monkey Ampersand. Paired up with Culper ring agent 355 (a phenomenal Ashley Romans), the duo traveled the country in their search for answers to the plague, while encountering various groups who wanted Yorick for their own purposes.

It’s a shame to see Y end, especially as the final episodes set up the rise of Amazon leader Victoria (Marin Ireland) and introduced the dry and hilarious Dr. Allison Mann (Diana Bang). The series was stacked with strong performances, from Diane Lane’s steely president to Amber Tamblyn’s terrifying Meghan McCain stand-in Kimberly Cunningham.

There are many reasons why Y didn’t find an audience. Poor marketing, coupled with the confusing FX vs. FX on Hulu branding didn’t help. Then there was the pandemic of it all, which soured many viewers on yet another post-apocalyptic series. But perhaps what’s most frustrating about Y: The Last Man‘s cancellation was that the series elevated women and non-binary folks in its creative teams. Department heads were almost entirely women, and the series featured a diverse slate of creatives in front of and behind the camera.

Despite this disappointing ending, we can’t wait to see what Clark and company do next. And who knows what the future holds. For now, we’re looking to actor/Amber Tamblyn’s dad Russ Tamblyn for the final word:

(image: FX on Hulu)

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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.

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