Some unfortunate news came to light today, as NBC has decided not to order additional episodes for Constantine’s currently-airing debut season. This means that the initial order of 13 episodes won’t be expanded, but it does not mean that the show is cancelled! It just means that Season One is guaranteed to only comprise thirteen episodes.
Constantine showrunner, Daniel Cerone confirmed the news today, though he seemed optimistic, and appeared to suggest that NBC simply didn’t order more episodes because they only had the ratings of five at this point, due to Constantine getting a late start towards the very end of October. Cerone confirms that Constantine’s current ratings count places it above NBC’s own Hannibal, the well-received but ratings-starved prequel/spin-off series based on classic film, Silence of the Lambs that managed to make it past the first season, and also that the ratings of Constantine are climbing. This is true, as Constantine’s ratings saw a 38% increase in the most recent episode, “Danse Vaudou”, and have been on the rise for a couple of episodes now, even if the show disappointingly can’t hold the increased following of Grimm, which airs immediately beforehand.
Cerone also stresses however that the audience will ultimately decide the fate of Constantine. NBC doesn’t seem to want to axe it quite yet, and Cerone claims that DC is particularly against Constantine’s cancellation. Cerone urges fans to watch, re-watch and stream as much as they can to keep the ratings up, and to tune in every Friday, at 10:00 P.M. EST, which is Constantine’s timeslot in the NBC schedule.
While Constantine’s ratings have been acceptable for a debuting genre drama, they’re well beneath the record-high ratings and viewership that came in for DC’s two other debuting shows this Fall, Gotham and The Flash, airing on FOX and The CW respectively. Both Gotham and The Flash have already had their debut season orders expanded to a full 22-episode run, and the continued positive reception to both shows make them likely to continue on for second seasons. The CW’s returning DC series, Arrow has also remained one of The CW’s highest-rated shows in its third season, despite some diminished reception for some of the earlier Season Three episodes.
Inspired by the Vertigo/DC Comics series, Hellblazer, Constantine centers on its title character, John Constantine, a self-proclaimed master of the dark arts who battles against spirits, demons and other occult threats to our world. The comic series was also adapted into a self-contained 2005 feature film of the same name, starring Keanu Reeves as the title character. The show is already considered to be superior to the movie however, with lead actor, Matt Ryan being especially praised for his portrayal of Constantine himself, and the show’s increased faithfulness to the comics also being cited for some of its positive reception.
We’ll be continuing our coverage of Constantine after every late Friday night, and don’t forget to tune in to keep the ratings strong! In the meantime, Eggplante will continue to divine all news and updates on Constantine.