Unfairly cancelled show fails to find new home: ‘It’s the end of the road’

Fan campaign to save axed show has ended unsuccessfully

A fan campaign to save a US show that was unceremoniously cancelled in January has failed, its creator has said.

Earlier this year, the critically acclaimed comedy Our Flag Means Death was axed by HBO’s streaming service Max, sharing the same fate as shows including Julia and Warrior, which has been given a new lease of life on Netflix.

At the time, a spokesperson for Max said:”While Max will not be moving forward with a third season of Our Flag Means Death, we are so proud of the joyous, hilarious, and heartfelt stories that creator David Jenkins, Taika Waititi, Rhys Darby, Garrett Basch, Dan Halsted, Adam Stein, Antoine Douaihy, and the entire superb cast and crew brought to life.

“We also thank the dedicated fans who embraced these stories and built a gorgeous, inclusive community surrounding the show.”

Following the announcement, these dedicated fans launched a petition to save the show – but the effort did not work, according to Jenkins.

Jenkins revealed that the campaign led to “many complimentary meetings” about finding a new home for the series, whose two seasons were acclaimed by critics. The efforts to save the show saw a billboard purchased in Times Square campaigning for its resurrection.

However, Jenkins declared it was “the end of the road” for the series on Instagram, writing: “I can officially confirm that we’ve reached the end of the road. At least as far as this sweet show is concerned. After many complimentary meetings, conversations, etc it seems there is no alternate home for our crew.

“Thank you to all of you who sent us out with tremendous love and care. Your campaign was noticed across the industry. But more importantly it made all of us who worked on this show better able to deal with the loss.”

He also thanked the show’s “wonderful” fans, stating: “You are lovely and earnest. Those kinds of things feel in short supply at times. But they aren’t. A love like ours can’t disappear in an instant.

“When we see each other off in mystic, say hello. We won’t say goodbye, because we’re not leaving. We’re just taking a breather until next time we can share something together.”

Rhys Darby in ‘Our Flag Means Death’, which is officially over (Max)

Our Flag Means Death follows Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), an unhappy aristocrat who abandons his family and comfortable life to become a pirate. The show aired on BBC Two in the UK.

The series was executive produced by Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit writer-director Waititi, who also appeared in the show as Blackbeard. His other TV producing credits include What We Do in the Shadows and Reservation Dogs.