Penny Dreadful: City of Angels cancelled at Showtime

Showtime has cancelled Penny Dreadful: City of Angels after one season.

According to a report by Variety, the network released the following statement about the cancellation of the supernatural period drama:

“Showtime has decided not to move forward with another season of Penny Dreadful: City of Angels…We would like to thank executive producers John Logan, Michael Aguilar and the entire cast and crew for their outstanding work on this project.”

The show was a “spiritual descendant” of the original Victorian-era horror series, Penny Dreadful, and was set in 1938 Los Angeles where two detectives investigate a series of crimes that may have had supernatural influences. The first season had ten episodes with a finale airing on June 28.

The series was impressively prescient in tackling various relevant socio-economic issues plaguing American society such as racism, police brutality, and the struggle for equality. The cast delivered compelling performances, notably Adriana Barraza, bringing both gravitas and humanity to her role as the matriarch of the Vega family; Nathan Lane, portraying a complex and fascinating character who is forced to make difficult choices to uphold his principles; and Natalie Dormer, impressively juggling multiple characters, both supernatural and human. Some memorable moments in the season include an impressive dance hall sequence in the third episode and a chilling riot scene in the finale.

For all its lofty ambitions, the show struggled to find an essential balance with the different genres it wanted to explore from period drama to supernatural horror to crime thriller to social commentary. Nevertheless, the first season set the stage for an intriguing next chapter and it would have been interesting to find out what happened next to these characters.

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels starred Daniel Zovatto, Nathan Lane, Natalie Dormer , Kerry Bishé, Rory Kinnear, Adriana Barraza, Michael Gladis, Jessica Garza, and Johnathan Nieves. Recurring guest stars included Lorenza Izzo, Adam Rodriguez, Amy Madigan, Brent Spiner, Lin Shaye, Thomas Kretschmann, Dominic Sherwood, and Ethan Peck.

Read our reviews of the show HERE.