![Black Sails Black Sails](https://i0.wp.com/www.geeksofdoom.com/GoD/img/2016/07/black-sails-starz-e1469120886295-530x306.jpg?resize=530%2C306&ssl=1)
Starz has announced that season four of their popular pirate drama Black Sails will be its last season.
The fourth season is set to premiere in 2017, and will have 10 episodes to wrap up all of its storylines. Though it seems like a quick exit, that’s just sort of how things work with Starz. Black Sails is the first series to go past three seasons, passing Spartacus and its three (and 1/2 with the prequel miniseries) seasons. They also just ordered a season four and season five for Powers, which will make that series their new longest runner. For one comparison, HBO’s Deadwood ran for four seasons and many feel it was canceled far too soon. If things go well, we can only hope that the series based on Neil Gaiman’s American Gods will be the next to climb to the top.
Black Sails is a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, set 20 years before the events of the classic story.
Series co-creator (along with Robert Levine) and executive producer Jonathan E. Steinberg had this to say about the news:
“It’s a rare privilege in television to be given the kind of creative freedom we’ve enjoyed on this show over the last four years. While it was a difficult decision for us to make this season our last, we simply couldn’t imagine anything beyond it that would make for a better ending to the story nor a more natural handoff to Treasure Island. We’d like to thank Chris, Carmi and everyone at Starz for all their faith and support, and to our astounding cast and crew for joining us on this ride.”
Starz Managing Director Carmi Zlotnik added:
“Jon Steinberg and Robert Levine, along with their crew and the phenomenal cast, have delivered a spectacular take on the most legendary pirate story in literature, and this final season will bring us to the shores of Treasure Island as was always intended. Black Sails has been a tremendous success; from the loyal fan following and strong viewership numbers to awards recognition and the skill of our world-class production in Cape Town, we could not be more proud of this very special series.”
You can find more on Black Sails right here.
[Source: Deadline]
HBO Deadwood ran for three seasons, not four. It was intended by creator David Milch to run four seasons.
Comment by Paul Kopco — July 22, 2016 @ 3:39 pm