Clive Owen's medical drama “The Knick” cancelled after two seasons

PanARMENIAN.Net - Cinemax is discharging The Knick.

The period medical drama from Steven Soderbergh has been canceled after two seasons, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

The news is not surprising and comes 15 months after the season-two finale, which killed off star Clive Owen.

"After a critically acclaimed two-season run of The Knick on Cinemax, we will not be going forward with additional episodes of the series," said HBO miniseries and Cinemax programming president Kary Antholis in a statement. "Despite our pride in and affection for the series as well as our respect for and gratitude toward Steven Soderbergh and his team, we have decided to return Cinemax to its original primetime series fare of high-octane action dramas, many of which will be internationally co-produced."

The series, which marked Owen's first series-regular role, was acclaimed by critics but drew a small viewership. In addition to exec producing, Soderbergh directed all 20 episodes and was one of his first forays into television. Soderbergh has since moved on to exec produce and direct Amazon's Red Oaks and Starz's The Girlfriend Experience.

Cinemax showed early faith in the drama, picking up a second season before its series premiere. The Knick hailed from creators Jack Amiel and Michael Begler, who exec produced with Soderbergh, Owen, Gregory Jacobs and Michael Sugar.

When speaking with THR in December 2015, Amiel said there were "a lot of ways" to move forward with the drama after Owen's onscreen death. However, he also said that the season-two finale could serve as a series finale.

"The stories arched. Everybody started in one place and has finished in another, and I'm very satisfied with where the characters are right now. Each one has come to a conclusion; whether or not it's a happy conclusion is irrelevant. They've come to a new place in their lives."

Since saying goodbye to Strike Back and Banshee, Cinemax's original series slate also includes the acclaimed Quarry and Robert Kirkman's Outcast.