The current third season of historical drama "The Borgias" will also be the last, Showtime announced today. The June 16 series finale "The Prince" will serve as a series finale for the show, which was created by "The Crying Game" director Neil Jordan.
"The Borgias" is centered around the notorious Italian clan of the title at the turn of the 16th century, with Jeremy Irons starring as Pope Alexander VI, François Arnaud, David Oakes and Aidan Alexander as his sons Cesare, Juan and Joffre, Holliday Grainger as his daughter Lucrezia and Colm Feore as his rival Cardinal della Rovere.
Despite the pedigree, the lux look and the presence of Irons in the lead role, "The Borgias" has never been a breakout hit for Showtime, though it has earned 10 Emmy nominations. The premium network is preparing to launch two new dramas this year, "Ray Donovan" this month and "Masters of Sex" in the fall. "The Big C" recently wrapped up with a four episode limited run in May, and "Dexter" will kick off its eight and final season on June 30.
The final two episodes of "The Borgias" are written and directed by Jordan, who in the announcement said "I never thought I would make a cable series and have enjoyed every minute of it. For a variety of reasons we won't be doing a fourth season, but 'The Prince,' when I wrote it and shot it, did seem like the end of a journey for the family. Whatever bonded them as a family dies in this episode, and the center of the drama for me was always the family."
