The Real Reason Ray Donovan Was Canceled - Looper

After seven seasons, Ray Donovan aired its final episode in January of 2020. Unfortunately, however, the final bow of the Liev Schreiber-led network hit, which broke Showtime ratings records when it debuted in 2013, was anything but planned.

The bi-coastal drama created by Ann Biderman (Southland, Public Enemies) and run by David Hollander (The Guardian, Personal Effects) followed the personal and professional life of Ray Donovan (Schreiber), a "fixer" for the influential law firm Goldman & Drexler who was responsible for arranging bribes and payoffs, as well as doling out threats and participating in other illegal activities in the name of the firm's powerful clients. The show was a certifiable hit for Showtime, and an award-winning critical darling with a remarkably consistent viewership.

So, when Gary Levine, Showtime's co-President of Entertainment, implied Ray Donovan might soon be singing its swan song in an interview with Deadline after the season 7 finale aired in January 2019, it was a bit of shock. In the immediate aftermath, its star even took to Instagram to encourage fans to reach out to the network. "I know the big question on everyone's [mind] is whether there will be a season 8," Schreiber wrote. "Truth is it's in the [network's] hands. So if you want more, reach out to them at @showtime, @raydonovan, and @CBS and let them know how you feel."

At the time, not only was the series still performing well, but the final episode of the seventh season had ended on a major cliffhanger, with showrunner Hollander telling Vulture that he and the team had come back after season 6 with a two-season arc in mind. "We were so used to it being the other way, where we were burned out by a show that was very hard to make and the network would pull us and cajole us and push us," Hollander said. "We were used to being a show that was not canceled. We never thought we would be canceled."

So, why exactly did Ray Donovan get canceled?