(HBO)
Westworld has closed its doors. The HBO TV series has been cancelled so a fifth season won’t be forthcoming. The fourth season of eight episodes, which saw a big drop in the ratings, finished airing in August.
A science-fiction thriller series, the Westworld TV show stars Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Luke Hemsworth, Aaron Paul, Angela Sarafyan, and James Marsden with Ariana DeBose, Aurora Perrineau, and Daniel Wu. Created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, the drama series unfolds in a pricey, futuristic theme park, where visitors pay to act out their Wild West fantasies while interacting with lifelike robot “hosts.” The fourth season picks up seven years after the end of the third season and is a dark odyssey that revolves around the fate of sentient life on earth.
The fourth season of Westworld averaged a 0.06 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 349,000 viewers in the live+same day ratings (including DVR playback through 3:00 AM). Compared to season three, that’s down by 73% in the demo and down by 57% in viewership. While these numbers don’t include further delayed or streaming viewing, they are a very good indicator of how a show is performing, especially when compared to others on the same channel.
A statement from HBO addressed the cancellation: “Over the past four seasons, Lisa and Jonah have taken viewers on a mind-bending odyssey, raising the bar at every step. We are tremendously grateful to them, along with their immensely talented cast, producers and crew, and all of our partners at Kilter Films, Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. Television. It’s been a thrill to join them on this journey.”
What do you think? Do you enjoy the Westworld TV series? Are you sorry that this HBO series hasn’t been renewed for a fifth season?