Starz cancels ‘Boss’ after lackluster second season

Starz will not be moving forward with its political drama “Boss” after two seasons.

The series started out full-throttle, with the network renewing it for a second season even before its Season 1 debut -- which has become standard practice for the network. That wasn’t the only thing working for it: The critics mostly praised the series -- starring Kelsey Grammer as corrupt Chicago Mayor Tom Kane, who wields power while trying to mask a deteriorating mental condition -- and it managed to earn a Golden Globe nomination for best drama and an acting win for Grammer.

But the numbers weren’t on “Boss’” side. Its October 2011 premiere brought in 659,000 total viewers. The second season, which wrapped earlier this year, drew a stunted 317,000 viewers with its premiere and averaged under 580,000 over the season. Even when factoring in multiple airings for the drama, produced by Lionsgate TV, the total numbers were underwhelming.

“After much deliberation, we have made the difficult decision to not proceed with ‘Boss,’” the network said in a statement. “We remain proud of this award-winning show, its exceptional cast and writers, and are grateful to Kelsey Grammer, [creator] Farhad Safinia and our partners at Lionsgate TV.”

The network confirmed to Show Tracker that it was in discussions to wrap things up with a two-hour movie, but no deals are yet in place.

News of the show’s demise comes as the network prepares to roll out two new dramas next year: “Da Vinci’s Demons” and “The White Queen.” That’s in addition to the final season of “Spartacus: War of the Damned,” and the second season of “Magic City.”

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