Covert Affairs Canceled After Five Seasons

Mission aborted. After five seasons, USA has opted not to move forward with more episodes of its spy drama Covert Affairs.

Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham starred in the series, which was created by Matt Corman and Chris Ord, playing spies Annie Walker and Auggie Anderson.

The decision to end Covert Affairs was made from a business standpoint, after the series hit an all-time ratings low this past November during its fifth season. Though the show, which regularly averaged 5 million viewers in live-plus-same-day returns, was well-liked by network execs, USA decided that the series low of 1.1 million viewers, which resulted in an average of about 1.5 million, was just too severe to allow for a sixth season.

Now that USA has pulled the plug, it seems that the season five cliffhanger ending, in which Perabo’s Annie found herself fielding both a marriage proposal and new job with a CIA task force and Gorham’s Auggie considered leaving the CIA, will serve as Covert Affairs‘ unlikely swan song.

That certainly wasn’t planned by Ord, who said in a TV Line interview after the finale that he, Corman and the other producers “wouldn’t be happy” if USA ended the show on such a note. “We want the show to continue,” he added. With the kind of ratings that Covert Affairs was pulling, though, the pink slip can’t come as a complete surprise. In response to the cancellation, both showrunners took to Twitter and expressed their gratitude to fans:

#CovertAffairs fans – We loved making the show for you. It has been an amazing journey. Your support & passion mean everything xoxo – MC

— Matthew Corman (@mattcorman) January 6, 2015

sad to not be continuing our #CovertAffairs journey together. thanks to USA, UCP, and all of you wonderful fans for your love & support!

— chris ord (@ordeaux) January 6, 2015

USA’s decision comes as the network presses on into edgier fare, including timely hacker drama Mr. Robot. Other scripted dramas still alive on the network include Graceland, Royal Pains, Suits, Satisfaction and Complications. And at the pilot stage are dramas Stanistan, Colony, Evil Men and Queen of the South. It’s plain to see from all those series that USA had many other options than extending Covert Affairs, and one has to commend them for sticking with the series as it did despite ratings declines over the years.

Fans, feel free to leave your eulogies below.