‘The Great’ future revealed: Is a fourth season happening?

We’ve got sad news for fans of The Great!

Hulu has officially cancelled the award-winning series after three seasons.

Created by Tony McNamara, writer of Olivia Colman’s The Favourite, the historical comedy-drama debuted three years ago in May 2020.

The Great took a satirical look at the rise of Catherine the Great, from outsider to the longest reigning female ruler in Russia’s history.

Very loosely based on “the occasional historical fact,” the show starred Elle Fanning (Ginger & Rosa) as Empress Catherine II and Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man) as Emperor Peter III.

It’s now been confirmed by Deadline that Hulu won’t be renewing The Great, despite the show returning for a well-received third season back in May.

Apparently “a spokesperson for Hulu declined comment,” but we believe that disappointing viewing figures for the expensive production are to blame for the surprise cancellation.

Over the years, the series has received lots of positive attention in awards season, with nominations at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards, Golden Globes, and Primetime Emmy Awards, not to mention a win at the Emmys in 2022 for Outstanding Period Costumes.

If you’ve never seen The Great – and are happy to jump on board with the writer’s openly loose attachment to historical accuracy – then it’s well worth a watch.

Alongside Fanning and Hoult, the series also starred a number of British actors, including Phoebe Fox (The Hollow Crown), Adam Godley (Nanny McPhee), Gwilym Lee (Midsomer Murders), Charity Wakefield (Wolf Hall), Douglas Hodge (Penny Dreadful), Sacha Dhawan (Doctor Who), and Sebastian de Souza (The Borgias).

If The Great had been renewed, a fourth season would have felt noticeably different from the first three runs following – SPOILER WARNING! – the death of Nicholas Hoult’s character Peter last season.

The entertaining dynamic between Catherine and Peter was a huge part of the show’s appeal, so while it’s disappointing that there will never be a proper final episode, perhaps it’s best that the show has ended on a creative high.

The Great is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.