AMC Cancels ‘Rubicon’ After One Season

Series is first to fail since AMC’s re-entry into scripted original shows

AMC has its first new casualty since its re-entry into scripted television: The network has canceled "Rubicon" after one season.

"'Rubicon' gave us an opportunity to tell a rich and compelling story, and we're proud of the series. This was not an easy decision, but we are grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a phenomenally talented and dedicated team," the network said in a statement.

The conspiracy thriller, starring James Badge Dale, chronicled a secretive intelligence organization.

The cancellation is the first failure for AMC since its re-entry into original scripted television with "Mad Men" in 2007. "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad" have scored respectable viewership and thrived in awards seasons, and new series "The Walking Dead" has set ratings records for the network.

"Rubicon," produced by Warner Horizon Television, debuted Aug. 1.

It was AMC's highest-rated debut at the time, averaging 2 million viewers. But those numbers were quickly surpassed by those of "The Walking Dead," which scored 5.3 million over its 90-minute Halloween premiere.

AMC's president and general manager Charlie Collier said after the debut of "Rubicon" that the network was "now three for three with our original series."

It will have to settle, for the time being, for being three for four.

AMC previously took a shot at original scripted programming with "The Lot" from 1999-2001.

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