Becoming Elizabeth, drama series following an orphaned teenager who becomes embroiled in the political and sexual politics of the English court on her journey to secure the crown, has been canceled after just one season. According to Nielsen data, the series failed to capture audiences in a meaningful way, via Deadline.
The series premiere aired on August 12th and was the series’ highest viewed episode at 158,000 total viewers, and the series continued to lose viewers as the season progressed, according to Deadline. The pilot episode and one other were the only two of the series to break 0.02 demo rating, the rest of the first season episodes averaged a 0.01 demo rating, via Deadline.
Becoming Elizabeth was created by Anya Reis, writer of East Enders and Ackley Bridge. The series follows the life of Queen Elizabeth I and her journey toward the crown. Queen Elizabeth I is portrayed by Alicia von Rittberg, known for her work in Fury and Charité. The series also stars Romola Garai, Atonement, Jessica Raine, Robin Hood (2010), Tom Cullen, Weekend, and Bella Ramsey, Game of Thrones.
The series starts with the death of King Henry VIII. With no clear heir to the throne, his death sets into motion a dangerous scramble for power, according to Deadline. His remaining children find themselves to be pawns in an elaborate game between the powerful families of Europe in order to establish who will rule England, via Deadline. Along with the royal politics of the time, Becoming Elizabeth focuses on how Queen Elizabeth I struggled to control her destiny and take real power while dealing with obstacles in patriarchal society, via Deadline.