'Graves,' Starring Nick Nolte, Canceled at Epix (Exclusive)
The half-hour was the cabler's first scripted comedy series.
Two years after entering the scripted originals space, Epix has made its first cancellation.
The MGM-owned premium cable network has canceled Nick Nolte vehicle Graves after two seasons. The series wrapped its 10-episode sophomore season on Dec. 10, with the episode now serving as a series finale.
Co-starring Skylar Astin, Sela Ward and Chris Lowell, Graves was produced by Lionsgate Television and followed former two-term Republican President Richard Graves (Nick Nolte) as he embarked on a Don Quixote-like quest to right the wrongs of his administration and reclaim his legacy 25 years after leaving the White House.
The series scored an early season-two renewal a month after its debut in 2016, when Epix was still a joint venture between Viacom and Lionsgate Television. It launched to lackluster reviews, with The Hollywood Reporter TV critic Daniel Fienberg noting that it would "likely get buried."
The cancellation comes after MGM acquired full control over Epix in an April deal estimated to be worth $1 billion and after former Amblin CEO Michael Wright replaced Mark Greenberg as president of the cabler.
Without Graves,Epix no longer has any scripted comedy on its roster, despite rumors of a Meg Ryan comedy that the network cabler has never commented on. Its roster of scripted series includes dramas Berlin Station (produced by Paramount Television), which recently scored a third-season pickup, and its Ray Romano-led reboot of Get Shorty (produced in-house by MGM Television). Next up is Patrick Dempsey-led event series The Truth About the Quebert Affair.
