Hit Sci-Fi Series Not Airing Its Final Season?
Snowpiercer, the last TNT scripted series, is being shopped around for a new home to air its fourth and final season.
According to Deadline, the fourth and final season of Snowpiercer will not be airing on TNT as previously announced. The last installment of the dystopian drama, which was the sole surviving original series on the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned network, will now reportedly be shopped around. TNT is said to be working with producers on the show to secure a new home “where fans can continue to enjoy the compelling story and exceptional visual experience.”
Based on the acclaimed 2013 motion picture of the same name, Snowpiercer premiered May 14, 2020, to generally positive reviews from both critics and casual viewers alike. The series takes place seven years after the world had become a frozen wasteland. The remnants of humanity inhabit a perpetually moving train that circles the globe, where class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival play out.
The fourth season of Snowpiercer was already confirmed to be the show’s last, which was most likely due to a decline in ratings. Although the premiere episode drew in 3.3 million viewers, making it TNT’s largest debut in years, the third season saw ratings average around 600,000 per episode. Still, the network’s decision not to air the already-completed fourth season of the series is reportedly a result of its parent company cutting content for tax-write off purposes.
The news that Snowpiercer Season 4 will not air on TNT comes a little over a week after Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels claimed the company was done cancelling content and removing existing films and television from HBO Max. The controversial move saw a slew of projects including Batgirl and J.J. Abrahams’ drama Demimonde axed. Additionally, shows such as Chad and The Big D, whose new seasons had been completed, were forced to find new homes on other streamers.
Upon Animal Kingdom concluding after its sixth season, Snowpiercer was the last remaining scripted original series on the network. Previously, TNT was home to several hit shows including The Alienist, Claws, The Librarians, Falling Skies, and The Closer. It’ll be interesting to see where its parent company goes with the network now that it’s completely lacking scripted shows.
In the meantime, the studio behind Snowpiercer, Tomorrow Studios, will shop the post-apocalyptic drama to other networks and streamers. Additionally, with the goal to build a franchise, the studio is reportedly shopping a prequel and sequel to the show as well. So far, the company has yet to find a home for the completed fourth season.
Snowpiercer stars Daveed Diggs, Mickey Summer, Alison Wright, Iddo Goldberg, Jennifer Connelly, Sean Bean, Sam Otto, Rowan Blanchard, Miranda Edwards, and Lena Hall. The first three seasons each consists of ten episodes, with seasons two and three premiering in the month of January. Had Season 4 aired on TNT like originally planned, it would have likely dropped this month as well.
The fourth season of Snowpiercer is executive produced by new showrunner Paul Zbyszewski, along with Christoph Schrewe, Matthew O’Connor, Ben Rosenblatt and Scott Derrickson. The series is produced by Tomorrow Studios, along with CJ Entertainment. International distribution is handled by ITV Studios.
