Starz has canceled Becoming Elizabeth after one season.
The show followed the early years of Queen Elizabeth I of England (Alicia von Rittberg), an orphaned teen who became involved in court politics while vying for the throne. Without a clear heir, the passing of King Henry VIII started a struggle for control of the throne. This leads to the great families of England and the nations of Europe playing a game for control of the country, and his surviving offspring are the pawns.
The show was created by Anya Reiss and also starred Romola Garai, Jessica Raine, Tom Cullen and Bella Ramsey.
In June, Becoming Elizabeth made its Starz premiere with a freshman season of eight episodes. The finale aired on Aug. 7.
Reiss hinted at the show’s cancellation in September when she talked about the Season 1 finale. In her response to some fans, Reiss used a few gifs to imply that there wouldn’t be a chance for a second season and that Starz had informed them that “you’re finished.”
“So to anyone who misinterpreted ‘Becoming Elizabeth’s’ end – it was not a cliffhanger – but an ironic wink to our audience – because of course, you know the rest of the story… so why would we continue,” Reiss wrote. “Or at least…that’s my story.