Messy Behind-the-Scenes Drama That Led to American Gods Cancelation
The issues got so out of hand that it was easier to cancel the show at once than face another backlash.
The cancellation of American Gods was unfortunate for some of the show's most loyal fans.
However, it was not surprising in any way: after suffering through so many hardships, a pandemic, and declining ratings, it was only a matter of time before Starz made a tough decision.
The show, based on the popular Neil Gaiman novel of the same name, had been on the air for three years and had developed a small but dedicated fan base.
It might have been much more successful under different circumstances, but nothing worked in its favor from the start.
HBO got off to a rough start, initially picking up the drama in 2011, only to later cancel it. Picked up by Starz, the show went through some drastic changes in the script, with Bryan Fuller trying to fit it into a reasonable budget.
Later, after the successful production and release of season 1, it was announced that both Bryan Fuller and Michael Green were leaving the show.
If you have ever been involved in the fandom of a show that is subject to such a change, you know how much it usually affects the quality of the writing.
This, combined with the rumored reason for the departure being a budget issue, paints a perfect picture of a struggle American Gods was facing at the time.
It's worth noting that it wasn't just the writers who were let go. A showrunner who was to work on the second season, Jesse Alexander, also left the show due to a similar conflict.
A new showrunner, Charles Eglee, did not bring the show the success Starz had hoped for. Instead, it led to another departure: this time from the cast.
According to Orlando Jones, who played the trickster god Anansi, better known as Mr. Nancy, he did not leave the show of his own accord but was fired.
"I'm not going to name names but the new season 3 showrunner is Connecticut-born and Yale-educated, so he's very smart and he thinks that Mr. Nancy's angry, get s**t done is the wrong message for black America," the actor said in a now-deleted Twitter video. Although he didn't mention any names, the description gave the person behind this decision off.
Needless to say, fans weren't thrilled about the removal of one of the main characters. Especially the one who had inspired so many people with his passionate speeches.
This disappointment only added to the already declining ratings, making the show's cancellation after season 3 inevitable.
Fortunately, the 3 seasons that had a chance to air are still available to watch. You can stream American Gods on Hulu, Starz.com, and Roku.