'Becoming Elizabeth' Won't Return For a Second Season
Period drama Becoming Elizabeth set out to tell a different kind of story about Elizabeth Tudor. Rather than showing us another version of the story of Gloriana, the Virgin Queen, the series was set in the immediate aftermath of King Henry VIII's death and centered on Elizabeth as a young girl. Just fourteen years old and the daughter of a woman who is still casually referred to as "the Great Whore," this Elizabeth has no power and is very much still finding herself.
Unfortunately, fans won't get to see how that journey of self-discovery plays out. The premium cable network has decided it won't be moving ahead with a second season.
The cancellation news comes after a string of disappointingly low viewing figures for the series' first (and now only) season. According to Deadline (and Nielsen data), Becoming Elizabeth averaged just 136,000 viewers, with its June 12 premiere being the most-watched episode at just 158,000 total viewers. What's worse, the series' ratings dipped during each subsequent week of its run, indicating it was most likely losing audience as it went along.
