Is ’The Royals' Moving To A New Network After E! Cancellation?

It’s a sad day for Loyals everywhere, as E! Has decided to pull the plug on its first-ever scripted series, “The Royals,” after four seasons. However, there is still a potential glimmer of hope that is as shiny as some of the jewels in Queen Helena’s wardrobe.

“E! will not be moving forward with another season of ‘The Royals,’ which launched in 2015 as the network’s first original scripted series,” a spokesperson for the network told Deadline. “Over four seasons, ‘The Royals’ took viewers behind the palace gates on a scandalous journey filled with twists and turns. We are grateful to the cast and our producing partners at Lionsgate and Universal Cable Productions.”

According to Deadline, Lionsgate is trying to shop the series to other networks following the decision. Following their successfully shopping “Nashville” to CMT following its cancellation on ABC after four years, the hope is that Pop will pick up a new season of the show. That network, which is a joint venture by Lionsgate and CBS, has been reportedly looking for a second flagship series to join its flagship, “Schitt’s Creek.”

As for E!’s decision to ax “The Royals,” it is believed to be largely a business decision on their part since the most recent season of the series was down in viewership. It’s noteworthy however that the cancellation comes three months after the season 4 finale aired and eight months after the series creator/executive producer/showrunner Mark Schwahn was fired, following allegations of sexual harassment on both the set of that series and his prior CW hit, “One Tree Hill.”

Schwahn had not been replaced prior to the fourth season’s airing, but Lionsgate had been hopeful for a fifth season and was in the process of looking for a new showrunner.

Since the cancellation news broke, the show’s stars have been mostly silent on social media, with only Max Brown, who portrayed King Robert, and Jake Maskall, who portrayed Prince Cyrus, seeming to acknowledge the news.

On his account, Brown re-tweeted a fan who used his character’s storyline to remain hopeful that the series would receive new life elsewhere.

“We may think #theroyals is dead, but that’s what we thought about Robert for 2 seasons. Who’s ready for another resurrection?” the fan wrote, along with the hashtag #longlivetheroyals.

Maskall, meanwhile, took to Instagram to thank fans for their loyalty to the series for the first four seasons.

“Thanks for being real #theloyals #theloyalsubjects You ROCK!!!” he wrote.