But a few of it is just, [if no one’s watching] then I’m not necessarily doing my job.
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He said that the reason The Bastard Executioner didn’t perform well was because of its “dense mythology…”
The cast of “The Bastard Executioner” learned of the cancellation via an email from Sutter before he posted the ad publicly. Sutter did not want to string out the announcement in consideration for all involved with the show.
Created by Sutter, The Bastard Executioner tells the story of a warrior knight in King Edward I’s charge who is broken by the ravages of war and vows to lay down his sword. The show also launched at a time when there was a glut of period pieces being offered, which may have turned off potential viewers. It was set in 14th century Wales and starred Lee Jones, Katey Segal, Stephen Moyer and Flora Spencer-Longhurst.
“The numbers just didn’t sustain the cost of the show, quite frankly”, he told Variety.
Over the course of six weeks on the air, The Bastard Executioner’s audience went from 4 million for its September 15 premiere to less than 2 million for the finale, which aired on Tuesday. It might come as surprising news because FX typically lets their shows run for awhile before axing them. Sutter and FX chose to axe the show after a sharp decrease in viewers led to concern over the series’ financial viability.
Anyone who made it through Sons of Anarchy’s seven seasons knows this wasn’t exactly unearned.
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Sutter is now focusing on developing a Sons of Anarchy spin-off series about the members of the Mayans, a Hispanic biker gang which battled the club led by Charlie Hunnam’s character throughout the entirety of the hit series.
