Sad news for Constantine fans, Constantine isn’t coming back to the small screen.
Of course we already knew that when NBC announced it had decided not to renew the show earlier this year, however, it was hoped another network would pick up the series to the delight of the 3.34 million who watched the show week after week. Even though dreams have been dashed as executive producer Daniel Cerone issued the following statement.
I promised I’d share news when I had it — sadly, that news is not good. The cast and writers of Constantine are being released from their contracts. The studio tried to find a new home for the show, for which we’re forever grateful, but those efforts didn’t pan out. I’m sorry, I wasn’t provided any information on the attempts to sell the show elsewhere. All I can report is that the show is over.
Many ingredients went into this TV series. From the dedicated cast that breathed these characters to life, led by Matt Ryan as the comic-made-flesh embodiment of John Constantine, to the exceptionality talented crew that put unreal images on screen, to the original Hellblazer writers and artists who gifted us a universe.
As a general principle, writers don’t choose a writing career to achieve stardom. Whatever demons or insecurities drove them to find freedom of expression through written words generally keeps writers comfortably obscure behind their words. Nor do people choose writing as a means to financial freedom. I’d venture to guess that most who set out to write professionally never receive a paycheck for their hopeful scribbles or key strokes.
In fact, nobody I know ever chose a writing career — it chose them. You write because that’s what you do. Like breathing, it just happens and you have to do it and you just hope that someday somebody out there notices what you’re trying to say.
If that’s the dream of writers, than the writers of Constantine lived the dream, because we’re leaving behind wild and passionate fans who believe in and were moved by what we tried to do. To leave such a significant, dedicated and active fan base on the table — that’s the real sadness. You all deserve many years of the series we set out to make, and we’re disappointed that we couldn’t deliver that to you. The good news is that Constantine will live on for years in many more forms. But our time as caretakers has ended.
Thank you for letting us in.
Daniel Cerone
Well, it was fun while it lasted, right?
I’m curious about your reactions to this news. Are you glad it is over? Did the show have promise for a second or third season? Use the comment section below!
6 Comments
I’m so sad! Constantine was a well-written, well-acted TV show. And the plot kept getting better as the episodes went on. The implications of the last episode were intriguing and promised to expand on the supernatural side of the DC Universe.
Now I wonder if with the TV show definitely cancelled, we could see a continuation of the story in comic form. I really hope so.
Dammit. With a few re-tools, namely a London setting, this could have been a fantastic show. Chas being a super-natural chauffeur, and not a regular London cabbie did rub me the wrong way, but, Contantine was almost perfectly cast. I suppose I’ll have to smoke a silk cut in tribute to a show culled in it’s infancy, but I won’t because that’s gross.
I’m very disappointed. There was a lot to like about this show. I felt it was a pretty faithful adaptation.
But, I’m used to disappointment where Constantine is concerned.
I just hope this isn’t taken as a grim portent for the comic-adaptation genre is concerned.
Bring on Lucifer!!
I’m disappointed. It feels to me like they gave up a bit too quickly considering it hasn’t been that long since the show was cancelled by NBC and it usually takes a little while for another network to finally pick something up. Look at “Arrested Development”, “Sliders” and other series that returned on different networks from their original run after a few years.
This is a real shame. I really hoped that something would turn around. It was a really good show, that got its footing down.
Sigh. As much as I loved it, it’s better to know that it’s done. I kept hoping The CW, who obviously has benefited from their relationship with WB and DC, would have given it a go. There have been so very many great shows that couldn’t garner a big enough audience, and this one will join that list. You were great, Constantine, and I’ll miss you!