History Channel To End Series ‘Vikings’

History Channel had a run of flagship alien documentaries and roadside antique reality TV shows before 2013. Then, it diverged into scripted TV with it’s hit show, Vikings. The show was the first scripted series in the network’s history.

Now, the show’s ending after its sixth season. Season five is still airing and season six will come sometime after the previous season’s finale on January 6. The last episodes are expected to air in 2019 and 2020.

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That sixth season will bring the show to a total of 89 aired episodes. Vikings debuted in 2013 as a strong performer and has remained such. The current season, which started in November 2017, pulled in an average of just under 2 million viewers an episode. The show is still History Channel’s no. 1 scripted series of all time, even after the network started copycat shows because of its success. Currently, at least three other cable Viking shows are airing.

Though the series is coming to an end, creator Michael Hirst might not be done with the Norse universe. Hirst and Vikings studio, MGM Television, are in discussions with the network on a spin-off of Vikings that would continue the story in some fashion and return the same creative team. Jeb Stuart would come to join the show as a co-creator if that were to happen.

Hirst has written every episode of the show and has had a final end in his mind planned out for some time now. Hirst also created The Tudors and co-created Camelot and has a first-look deal at MGM for his production company. Currently, he’s been working on new series projects, including an Ancient Rome drama he’s developed with Martin Scorsese.

History Channel plans to continue with scripted dramas. Project Blue Book premieres January 8 and Knightfall returns for a second season in the spring.