Will ‘The Last Ship’ Be Canceled By TNT After 5 Seasons?

“The Last Ship” star Travis Van Winkle recently announced on his Instagram account that the hit TNT TV series will be canceled after five seasons.

Winkle’s post has since been deleted, and the network released a statement (via TV Line) to contradict the actor’s claims. “We shot two seasons simultaneously; the fourth is currently on the air and the fifth will return next summer. We greenlit the fifth with the idea that it could be the final season, however it’s far too early to make that determination,” the statement read.

Over a year ago, TNT extended the series’ run through a fifth season that will kick off in the summer of 2018. But the production for Season 5 was briefly shut down after cast member Eric Dane requested for a time off to address his depression. The “Grey’s Anatomy” alum later returned to set, and filming wrapped up last week.

In April, Dane’s rep released a statement to Variety confirming the actor’s struggles. “Eric suffers from depression and asked for a few weeks of downtime, and the producers kindly granted that request. He looks forward to returning,” it read. A few years ago, Dane attended a 30-day rehab program to battle his addiction to painkillers following a sports-related injury.

Three months ago, the actor spoke with Today about his depression and addiction. “I took some time off – I was dealing with some depression, which was kind of odd to me. I felt very conflicted about it because I didn’t really feel like I had anything to be depressed about. Now I take a medication called Pristiq, which I thought just sounded like a good mood. And the depression is gone… You’ve got to listen to your body. It’s very serious thing. Like I said, I felt very conflicted because I couldn’t figure out what I was depressed about. But it’s very real,” he said.

“The Last Ship” follows the Tom Chandler (Dane) as he navigates through life following the death of nearly the entire world’s population. According to the same publication, the series became one of TNT’s most successful shows with an average of 7.1 million viewers per episode across multiple platforms in Season 3.