‘The White Queen’ canceled by BBC One; more bad news for Starz?

If you subscribe to Starz, the next few months are going to be an exercise in patience. There is the exciting new pirate drama coming up in “Black Sails,” though we must admit that just saying the words “pirate drama” is enough to get us excited. The network also has some other exciting stuff in development that could help you forget about the end of the “Spartacus” franchise, “Magic City,” and “Boss.”

However, another of their shows has now officially bitten the dust … though this one was not technically owned by them anyway. In a statement today, BBC One confirmed that they are ending the series “The White Queen” after it failed to make a huge impact on their audience. While we imagine that the show would have been renewed had it turned out to be a ratings titan, it’s easy for them to say now that this was always meant to be more of a limited series than anything else.

While Starz owns the majority of the shows they put on TV, this was just a rare import that they really have little control over. We figure that it’s possible that they could pick up the funding for a second season if it turns out to be some enormous hit, but we’re thinking that’s not going to happen, especially since no Starz show has mustered numbers anywhere near that level.

BBC One still has a good many series to look forward to, including the return of “Doctor Who” next year along with the highly-awaited “Sherlock,” which will be on TV in Britain this year and next year on PBS in America.

Photo: BBC One