AMC Greenlights Final Season Of ‘Hell On Wheels’

AMC has renewed its western-themed original drama Hell On Wheels for a fifth and final season, the network said Friday.

The fifth season of series, which chronicles the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, will run seven episodes next summer and an additional seven episodes in the summer of 2016, said network officials.

The series is currently averaging 3.4 million viewers (live +3) for the first 10 episodes of season four.

Hell On Wheels' final season announcement follows the network’s plans to end its Emmy Award-winning Mad Men in 2015 after seven seasons.  

“With season five of Hell on Wheels, we are proud to bring our trans-continental journey to conclusion for the large, loyal audience that has traveled with Cullen Bohannon and his crew for so many years,” said AMC President Charlie Collier in a statement. “We look forward to appropriately honoring Hell on Wheels in this final season. Enormous thanks to the terrific writers, cast and crew for all they have achieved and for all that lies ahead in the Wild West.”

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.