Stephen King’s Championed TV Show That Was Unfairly Canceled

Dealing with TV show cancellations is something every viewer has faced at some point. Occasionally, a cancellation perplexes the world.

One such surprising decision was the cancellation of the supernatural show Evil on Paramount+. The series received widespread acclaim, generated significant buzz, and even topped lists of the best TV shows of the year.

Premiering in 2019, the series follows psychologist Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), who reluctantly teams up with priest-in-training David Acosta (Mike Colter) to explore and rationalize supernatural occurrences within the Church. The show has now come to an untimely end with its fourth season.

The news of the cancellation shocked both the cast and its dedicated fanbase. Among the fans is renowned author Stephen King, who praised the show in a PBS interview, saying: “There’s a show called Evil on Paramount+ that I like. It’s great. It’s funny and it’s witty and it’s very, very sharp.”

A week after the final episode aired, Herbers shared this interview clip on X/Twitter, reigniting calls to save the show. She wrote: “OK, can we do the pick up now? Thank you, Stephen King.”

King himself responded to Herbers’ tweet with more praise: “Smart, thought-provoking, occasionally VERY scary. Plus, the chemistry between the three evil-hunters is strong and… to quote Kamala [Harris]… joyful.”

Robert King, the show’s co-creator, said that the author’s remarks were “such an honour”.

When asked why the show was cancelled, Robert King explained to Deadline: “If we’re a victim of anything, it’s timing. Obviously, since the strike, but also the Wall Street reevaluation of the business, there’s been a change in attitude on things.

“And obviously, as you probably know, with Paramount+ there is some reevaluation of what they’re doing, and the decision was made to end the show. I think the popularity of the show didn’t really hit until after some of those decisions were made.”

Despite the cancellation, Paramount’s official social media account responded to Stephen King’s praise with, “You’re making us blush.” This response didn’t sit well with fans, one of whom remarked: “I feel like you’re not allowed to both cancel it and blush.” Another fan added: “Less blushing, more renewing.”

The show also starred Michael Emerson, who is widely recognized for his role as Benjamin Linus in Lost, which has recently been added to Netflix ahead of its 20th anniversary.

Source: Deadline, PBS, Paramount