Cable giant A&E has opted to cancel Damien, the follow-up to the theatrical franchise The Omen, after one season.
“This hurts to say but #Damien will not be getting a second season. Thank you from all of us to our amazing fans,” developer Glen Mazzara announced via Twitter while thanking fans, cast members, and the series’ crew. “I really loved making #Damien. We all did. We just never got the numbers there. Gave i[t] our best shot.”
Damien was initially greenlit with a six-episode order on Lifetime before it eventually moved to the A&E cable network. The transfer granted the show an additional four episodes, but its popularity simply did not increase.
The show followed a grown-up Damien, now 30, portrayed by Bradley James (Homeland). The troubled character is haunted by his past and soon realizes he must embrace his destiny, believing to be the Antichrist. The series aimed to tell the story of everything that happened over the past 25 years as Damien attempts to find balance in the world and find himself.
The drama started in March with roughly 750,000 viewers and ended the season in May with 405,000. The network now continues the struggle in finding a companion for the more successful Bates Motel.
A&E had previously worked on shows Those Who Kill and The Returned, only to cancel them after only one season as well. Meanwhile, the network is currently producing The Infamous (a retelling of the L.A. riots drama) and also working with The Weinstein Co. to produce new military series, Six.