Hulu Cancels ‘The Great’ After 3 Seasons

No Huzzahs will be had today. In something of a surprise, Hulu has canceled “The Great,” the period comedy series from creator Tony McNamara that starred Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, IndieWire has confirmed.

The series will end after airing three seasons, with the most recent season dropping back on May 12. The show is nominated for an Emmy this year after landing acting nominations for both Fanning and Hoult in its standout second season. It’s been nominated for seven Emmys in all. The show had also been nominated for several Golden Globes, Film Independent Spirit Awards, WGA and SAG Awards, and Critics Choice Awards.

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Hulu had no comment.

It’s unclear whether the show’s cancellation is related to the ongoing writers and actors strike, which has resulted in several shows being un-renewed of late, or other factors.

“The Great” starred Fanning as a mostly-fictionalized version of Catherine the Great, the emperor of Russia during the 18th Century. The first season followed her arriving in Russia as a young woman and marrying then-emperor Peter III (Hoult) as she decides to overthrow him. The most recent season, with Catherine having successfully staged her coup, sees Catherine and Peter attempting to forge a life together as a married couple.

“The Great” also starred Phoebe Fox, Gwilym Lee, Adam Godley, Douglas Hodge, Belinda Bromilow, Bayo Gbadamosi, Florence Keith-Roach, Charity Wakefield, and Sacha Dhawan. It also featured memorable guest roles from both Jason Isaacs and Gillian Anderson.

While the show was cheekily referred to as an “occasionally true story,” the third season grappled with how to keep the show going despite the constraints of some real life history. The show was known for its rapid-fire, frequently profane and horny dialogue and scenarios, but it stood out thanks to the chemistry generated by Fanning and Hoult. The series will end though with the image of Fanning dancing to an AC/DC track, some loose ends still intact but her reign as Catherine secure.

Fanning and Hoult were also executive producers on “The Great.” The show was a production of Civic Center Media along with MRC Television.

Deadline first reported the news.

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