Image Credit: Lacey Terrell/HBOHBO is getting a divorce from Big Love. The cable net announced that the polygamy drama’s fifth season — premiering Sunday, Jan. 16 — will be its last.
“It has been an honor and pleasure to work with series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer on this unique and provocative series, and I’m happy that they will be able to bring the story to its close the way they always envisioned,” said HBO prez Michael Lombardo in a statement. ”We look forward with great anticipation to collaborating with Mark and Will on their next venture.”
In a joint statement, Olsen and Scheffer said the decision to end the show was a creative one. “While we were in the writers’ room this year shaping our fifth season, we discovered that we were approaching the culmination of that story.”
While never a ratings juggernaut, Big Love enjoyed strong acclaim and earned multiple Emmy nominations during its first three seasons. But the show’s fourth season was widely panned by critics and at least one of the show’s stars. Here’s hoping Love bounces back and delivers a satisfying final season.
Thoughts? Eulogies? Hit the comments!










It’s not a cancellation if they’re ending the story…?
Not necessarily a cancellation. Six Feet Under was never canceled, Alan Ball just decided the series had run its course.
Six Feet Under has to be my favorite series finale.
No reasons as to why they canceled? This makes a bit sad but it did have a good run, unlike the reboot of Melrose Place.
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Because last season blew?
The reason they’re ending the show is in the article above: the story reached it’s culmination. It’s not a cancellation if it’s voluntarily ended by the showrunners. Like Russ said above, Six Feet Under wasn’t cancelled; it was ended by Alan Ball.
*its culmination
At least it gets and ending, not all TV shows do
i know. i am still a little sad about the way deadwood ended.
I’m with “m”. Please bring Deadwood back…..
Deadwood ending before its time was a definite bummer. It’s easily my favorite television show ever. But the cool thing about the last episode of season three (the series’ last episode) is what Swearengen says about Johnny: he wants the story of his sacrificed ladyfriend to be tied up in a pretty bow. But endings aren’t like that, Al says. Sometimes things just end, bloodily and unceremoniously. If that doesn’t speak to the untimely ending of Deadwood, nothing does.
What about The Sopranos? I’m still confused!:)
Ugh, that sucks. But with the way last season ended – that reveal scene was very series finale like – it does make sense that the show would end.
You know you are kind of right. I am still saddened by this news though. This is my fav show and anticipated it having a full six seasons… Sigh I guess all is well that ends well.
God, this is a sad day. First Caprica and now them?
I’m okay with this as long they end it with a bang. I’ll look forward to it and hope it has less of season 4 and more of what made the first 3 seasons so riveting.
Sad news. Along with Six Feet Under, Big Love was one of my favorite HBO dramas. Here’s hoping that Big Love, like SFU before it, rebounds from an overstuffed 4th season to go out with a bang.
Last season never measured up, to the first three seasons!
UGH!
First Caprica, now this.
I have nothing to watch anymore.
The fourth season killed it, which is too bad. The three wives do some amazing work on this show.
This sucks, but I hope it ends with all three wives leaving Bill. If anything, let Barb go. I love Jeanne Tripplehorn in this role.
I would expect to see Barb walk away first.
YES! I hope Barb walks! I think it woudl be great that the last scene of the show would be her walking away! It would be really fitting I think.
Thank god, put it out of it’s misery already
I definitely want all three of them to leave him.
I want Nikki to experience the world!!!
For some reason I would think she would be the last to go. I would love her to experience the world too, but I could just see her pretending to leave and running back.
I want them all to leave, too! Let Nikki find that lawyer, Barb find the casino guy, and Margie live her QVC dreams. Bill’s a jerk who only thinks about himself– good riddance!
I would love if Nikki reunited with her former boss Ray. She more or less admitted that he was the first man she’d ever loved. Seeing as she didn’t decide she loved Bill until halfway through last season.
I would love it if Nikki reunited with her former boss Ray. She more or less admitted (to herself anyway) that he was the first man she ever loved. She didn’t even decide she loved Bill until halfway throught last season.
I enjoy the show, but last season was just too cartoonish. I hope they reign it in a bit this season and bring it to a close with some grace.
Guess that means I can cancel HBO and save 10.00 on my cable bill after the season ends. That show was the only reason I kept HBO.
Good point, Reigne. I only keep HBO for their original shows, but I don’t really love True Blood and Entourage isn’t so good anymore. I’ll give that new Laura Dern show a try, but once Big Love’s season is finished, there really won’t be any point to keep the channel.
Yup. There is an extra $10.00 HBO has no other good shows on!
I 4th that on HBO.
What about Curb Your Enthusiasm? Isn’t that reason enough to have HBO? Not to mention In Treatment and True Blood
Absolutely! That’s the only reason I have HBO for the last couple years!
same here…only kept HBO so I can see Big Love the moment a new episode airs. I will be cancelling when Big Love ends.