Black Sails on History (DStv 186) has been cancelled after 4 seasons and a devastating fire that ravaged the set of the pirate drama in May that was filmed in Cape Town at the Cape Town Studios.
The recently filmed 4th season of Black Sails that will be broadcast in 2017 will be the last of the adventure drama series produced for the Starz channel in America and licensed by A+E Networks UK for its History channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform in South Africa and Africa.
In early May a devastating fire that took hours to bring under control, engulfed one of the on-set prop ships at the Cape Town Studios that was burnt out and destroyed in the blaze and caused massive damage.
Afterwards Starz told TVwithThinus it didn't want to comment about the fire and the on-set damage. Now no further episodes of Black Sails for another season on the sprawling lot that included a big pirate town complete with a shoreline recreation, won't be filmed.
The show, seen in more than 200 countries and territories, follows the exploits of Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) and takes place 20 years prior to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel, Treasure Island.
"It's a rare privilege in television to be given the kind of creative freedom we've enjoyed on this show over the last four years," says Jonathan E. Steinberg, co-creator and executive producer in a statement announcing the Black Sails cancellation.
"While it was a difficult decision for us to make this season our last, we simply couldn't imagine anything beyond it that would make for a better ending to the story".
According to Starz the final 4th season "will bring us to the shores of Treasure Island as was always intended. Black Sails has been a tremendous success; from the loyal fan following and strong viewership numbers to awards recognition and the skill of our world-class production in Cape Town, we could not be more proud of this very special series."
