TV News Wrap-Up: Olivia Colman Cast in True-Crime Drama, Kristen Bell to Be Awarded #SeeHer Award, ‘Van Helsing’ Gets Fifth and Final Season, and More

It’s the end of the year, and that means there’s good news, bad news, and maybe even some nostalgic news in store over the next few days. 

Several networks are making their cancel/renew decisions about shows that ended their runs or recently premiered. While debuted shows await there fate, the age of Peak TV continues to keep churning out new series that fans are eager to see.

Check out some of the highlights from one of the final weeks of 2019. 

—

STARZ cancels Sweetbitter after two seasons. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the cancellation comes as a bit of a surprise, since the show was produced by the network’s corporate parent Lionsgate. The show was never a ratings success with season 1 averaging 164,000 live-same-day viewers, and mixed reviews from critics. Still, the show received a Season 2 season order with the count upped to ten episodes from the original six. 

Netflix has renewed Virgin River for a second season. Deadline reports that the streamer has ordered a ten-episode second season of the series based on Robyn Carr’s best-selling Harlequinn romance series. 

Van Helsing is getting a fifth and final season. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that the series received a renewal days before their Season 4 finale. The final season will be comprised of 13 episodes and is slated to begin production early next year and premiere in 2020. 

Olivia Colman has landed another television role. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Oscar-winning actress will be playing the lead role in an HBO and Sky original true-crime drama called Landscapers. The four-part limited series will be directed by Alexander Payne and explore the lives of convicted killers Susan and Christopher Edwards. Colman will play Susan, but the role of Christopher has yet to be cast. The movie will explore how the mild-mannered couple hatched a plan to kill Susan’s parents in 1998 and then bury them in the back garden at their home in Nottingham, England. The crime went undiscovered for nearly a decade, and they were charged and jailed in 2014.

Netflix has canceled Daybreak after one season. Deadline reports that show creator Aron Eli Coleite broke the news on Twitter saying, “No one is as heartbroken as we are that we can’t share more of this ride with you. But we are so grateful to have gotten to bring it so far.” The news comes nearly two months after the series premiered on the streamer on October 24th. 

Efforts to find a new home for Lodge 49 have failed. Creator Jim Gavin shared the news on Twitter explaining the attempts to shop the critically-acclaimed series to another outlet after it was canceled by AMC. Gavin wrote: “”It breaks my heart to announce that Lodge 49 won’t be going forward. We tried very hard to find a new home, but there were no takers. Ratings, metrics, algorithms … que sera, brah.” Read more about the attempts to save Lodge 49 at The Hollywood Reporter.

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) has announced that Kristen Bell will receive the fourth annual #SeeHer award during the 25th Annual Critics Choice Award. The #SeeHer Award recognizes women who embody the values of the SeeHer moveement, pushing boundaries, changing stereotypes, and awknowledging the importance of authentic portrayals of women in the TV landscape. Previous recipients of the award have included Viola Davis, Gal Gadot and Claire Foy. The 25th Annual Critics Choice Awards will be broadcast on The CW Sunday, January 12 at 7/6c. 

—

What was your favorite bit of TV news this week? Let us know in the comments below. 

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

25 Most Spectacular Streaming and Cable TV Shows of the Decade