Are We Going To See Becoming Elizabeth Season 2?
The Tudor dynasty is the TV gift that just keeps on giving. Ever since the breakout hit of Showtime's 2007 period drama "The Tudors," many a network has followed in their footsteps by sinking some cash into the world of frilled shirts, looming castles, and royal extravagance. The only thing more exciting than the realism and royal schadenfreude of "The Crown" is when you mix political and personal drama, dial up the dramatics and make it extra sexy. Over the years, the result has been a dozen different period dramas taking this approach (hence our post-"Bridgerton" world).
But "Becoming Elizabeth" offered a refreshing change of pace. Though it once again traces the Tudor story through the eyes of Queen Elizabeth I, the series created by Anya Reiss prioritizes Elizabeth's personal experience over the epic history being made in her lifetime.
"Becoming Elizabeth" follows the early life of Elizabeth Tudor (portrayed by Alicia von Rittberg), the young woman who would one day be crowned Queen Elizabeth I of England. When the series begins, she's an orphaned teenager who finds herself embroiled in the politics of the English court. With no clear heir, the death of King Henry VIII sets a dangerous scramble for power into motion. His surviving children — Elizabeth included — "find themselves pawns in a game between the great families of England and the powers of Europe who vie for control of the country."
The eight-episode first season was interested in Elizabeth's power as much as her vulnerability, tracing her journey to control her own destiny, secure the crown and seize power for herself despite the obstacle posed by the men around her. Given its basis in reality, the series has plenty of material to mine for future seasons, which raises the question: will we get to see the next chapter of Elizabeth's story?
Sadly, Becoming Elizabeth has been canceled
According to Deadline, Elizabeth's reign has come to a premature end. Starz has canceled "Becoming Elizabeth" after just one season. Based on the Live+Same Day Nielsen data, this news is likely a result of its lackluster viewership numbers. The series' most-watched episode was its premiere, which only mustered 158,000 total viewers. The following seven weeks saw each episode losing viewers, with the average Live+Same Day viewership landing at just 136,000.
It seems like "Becoming Elizabeth" is just another title that never found its audience because, despite the low viewership, the series premiered to largely positive reviews and still maintains an 85% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. For all its political scheming, the show even earned comparisons to titles like "Succession," and was celebrated as a refreshing take on a royal drama.
Executive producer and series creator Anya Reiss also served as lead writer, joined by an all-female writing team including Emily Ballou ("The Slap"), Anna Jordan ("Succession"), and Suhayla El- Bushra ("Ackley Bridge"). The series also boasted stars like Bella Ramsey ("The Last of Us," "Game of Thrones") Romola Garai ("The Hour"), Jessica Raine ("The Devil's Hour"), and Tom Cullen ("Downton Abbey").
Elsewhere, Starz has opted to renew another period piece — "Dangerous Liasons" — before the first season has even premiered.