Showtime cancels Penny Dreadful: City of Angels after a single season

Showtime has opted to cancel its dark noir drama Penny Dreadful: City of Angels after a single season.

Sad news for fans of the dark noir Penny Dreadful spinoff known as Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. Cable network Showtime has decided to cancel the series after just a single season, which means we’re not going to find out who wins the supernatural face-off between chaotic shapeshifter Magda and her seemingly holy sister Santa Muerte.

Though technically City of Angels existed in the same universe as its more Gothic-themed cousin, which focused on werewolves, vampires and famous literary characters come to life, it was a very different show. Set in sun-drenched 1930s Los Angeles, the series follows the story of the city’s first Chicano detective and racial tensions surrounding the construction of the Arroyo Seco Parkway.

But that’s not all. City of Angels is also a murder mystery, and its massive series of interconnecting plots contain everything from Nazis to radio evangelists to corrupt cops. And that’s before you even get to the age-old battle between good and evil stuff.

Suffice it to say there was a lot of story left to tell here, which is why it’s such a shame we won’t be given the chance to find out what would have happened next.

“Showtime has decided not to move forward with another season of ‘Penny Dreadful: City of Angels,’” Showtime said in a statement. “We would like to thank executive producers John Logan, Michael Aguilar, and the entire cast and crew for their outstanding work on this project.”

The series starred Nathan Lane, Natalie Dormer, Daniel Zovatto, Kerry Bishé, Rory Kinnear, Adriana Barraza, Michael Gladis, Jessica Garza, and Johnathan Nieves.

Lane’s grizzled Jewish cop who also hunts Nazis on his nights off was a series highlight, but it was Dormer who ultimately stole the show, portraying four different characters with varying levels of creepiness. Though the show never got the chance to tell us precisely what Magda’s ultimate agenda was, Dormer was compelling enough that we were all willing to watch it anyway.

R.I.P, Penny Dreadful, we hardly knew ye.

Did you watch Penny Dreadful: City of Angels’ first season? Are you sad it won’t return? Let us know.