The Real Reason Penny Dreadful Was Canceled

Like most TV cancellations, money was likely the main factor in Showtime's decision to give Penny Dreadful the axe. We'll explore other reasons, but things most likely boil down to ratings not justifying costs. It's happened to plenty of other fan favorite shows over the years, including Firefly, Hannibal, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Constantine, Dollhouse, and Almost Human. Despite featuring the likes of Dracula, Dr. Jekyll, Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, and other public domain characters, the price of bringing this Monster Squad to the screen was probably too much compared to what it was reeling in.