AMC Axes 'The Killing'

AMC announced Friday that it will not renew its sophomore drama series The Killing  for a third season.

The series, which followed the police investigation into the death of a young woman, suffered a precipitous drop in ratings during its second season, averaging 1.6 million viewers after pulling in 2.2 million watchers in its freshman season.

The network took criticism from viewers and critics after the first season when the show did not reveal the killer. The identity of the killer was eventually revealed during the series' second campaign.

"After much deliberation, we've come to the difficult decision not to renew The Killing for a third season," said the network in a statement. "AMC is incredibly proud of the show and is fortunate to have worked with such a talented team on this project, from showrunner Veena Sud and our terrific partners at Fox Television Studios to the talented, dedicated crew and exceptional cast."

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.