‘Castle’ Goes to Its Grave In a Brutal Round of TV Cancellations

ABC's procedural-dramedy Castle has been axed after eight seasons, amid a round of cancellations preceding the networks' upfronts presentations to advertisers this week.

Vocal fans of the show had been calling for its demise on Twitter following ABC Studios and ABC's decision to fire veteran cast members Stana Katic and Tamala Jones, reportedly due to budget cuts. Despite the fact that Katic was one half of the show's main pairing, co-star Nathan Fillion and the remaining cast were in contract talks to return for a Season 9. Whether the ABC felt those contracts were ultimately too expensive or the fan outcry tipped the scales on the studio's already-tepid feelings on renewal, Castle is closed for good.

"To the whole Castle family- our amazing cast, our remarkable crew, our imaginative writers & our wonderful fans, thank you for 8 amazing yrs!" show creator Andrew W. Marlowe tweeted on May 12. 

Castle was far from the only show that networks decided to pull the plug on this month: ABC also decided Nashville, another drama with a devoted-if-not-mammoth following, won't be getting a fifth season, and Marvel series Agent Carter and fantasy-musical-comedy Galavant are both done after two seasons. You won't be seeing fresh episodes of the unfortunately-executed reboot The Muppets, either.

CBS bid goodbye to The Good Wife on May 8, and Persons of Interest and CSI spinoff CSI: Cyber are also done for good.

Fox slashed the majority of its freshman comedies, including Seth McFarlane's animated Bordertown, Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life, Josh Peck and John Stamos vehicle Grandfathered and the too-good-for-this-word The Grinder starring Rob Lowe and Fred Savage.

Over at the CW, Vampire Diaries/The Originals creator Julie Plec had a rare miss with her new drama Containment, which has also been axed after just one season. In brighter news, CBS cult favorite Supergirl is moving over to The CW, where it will hopefully find a comfortable home amid fellow DC Comics dramas Arrow, Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. 

Head over to THR for a full list of canceled and returning series, and let us know if you've just lost your fave.

15 Onscreen Co-Stars Who Were Less Than Close in Real Life