'Dark Matter' Season 4: Why The Series Was Canceled According to Series Creator Joseph Mallozzi
In a surprising move, "Syfy canceled one of its top-rating scripted series, "Dark Matter," after only three seasons. The network did not explain why, despite its very loyal following, the space drama will not return for Season 4.
However, show creator, Joseph Mallozzi, has an idea why the series was axed on Syfy. On his personal blog, he once again addressed the cancellation that no one saw coming.
"Working against us was the fact that we weren't a SYFY original. We were an acquisition," he wrote. "For those not in the know, an original is a series that is developed by the network and, more importantly, owned by the network, allowing them to monetize the show through things like international sales, streaming, etc. The network plays a lot more but presumably reaps the benefits down the line."
Even if "Dark Matter" costs less to air than a SYFY original, the network could not monetize the series for itself. And, from the looks of it, the network wants more of its own original series. SYFY has a number of new shows that are set to premiere later this year or sometime in 2018 like "Ghost Wars," "Krypton," "Superstition," and "Happy!"
Mallozzi also addressed "Dark Matter" ratings. The third season saw a dip of 10 percent compared to Season 2, which, according to TV Series Finale, posted an average of .17 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 676,000 viewers. But he explained that the industry average was 25% drop from season to season. Moreover, the space drama has better numbers from delayed viewing. It has remained to be the most watched shows in 2017 on SYFY.
He also tried to save the series from cancellation prior to the announcement. The writer-producer offered to go to the network and pitch where he wanted to take the show in the seasons ahead. However, he was turned down and was told that the decision will not be based on the creative direction.
Mallozzi and the cast are still hoping that "Dark Matter" Season 4 will happen. A Change.org petition addressed to Netflix, Amazon and television networks has already crossed 30,000 signatures.
