(Photo: Alyssa Moran/AMC)
Gray Parish isn’t returning to AMC. The cable network has cancelled the Parish series so there won’t be a second season. The series’ six episodes finished airing in May.
A crime drama series, the Parish TV show stars Giancarlo Esposito, Zackary Momoh, Paula Malcomson, Skeet Ulrich, Bonnie Mbuli, Ivan Mbakop, Arica Himmel, and Dax Rey. In the story, Gracian “Gray” Parish (Esposito) is a good man with a troubled past who gave up his life of crime for life as a family man in New Orleans. After his son is violently murdered and his luxury car service business collapses, an encounter with an old friend from his days as a wheelman resurfaces old habits. This sends Gray on a relentless quest with moral intentions and dangerous consequences. Other characters include New Orleans-based Zimbabwean gangster The Horse (Momoh); Gray’s wife and the mother to his two children, Rose (Malcomson); Colin (Ulrich), an old acquaintance to Gray; Shamiso Tongai (Mbuli), The Horse’s smart and protective older sister; The Horse’s brother, Zenzo (Mbakop); Gray and Rose’s daughter, Makayla (Himmel); and The Horse’s son, Luke (Rey).
Airing on Sunday nights, the first season of Parish averaged a 0.05 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 295,000 viewers in the live+same day ratings (including DVR playback through 3:00 AM).
The series started off with solid numbers for the premiere, but the ratings fell to less than half as many viewers by week five. With a drop-off like that, it’s unsurprising that AMC wouldn’t order a second season. Parish was one of the cable network’s lowest-rated series in recent times, at least in the live+3 ratings.
“We’re so proud of Parish and thankful for the creative talent involved and the performances they were able to bring to the screen, starting with the remarkable Giancarlo Esposito, Skeet Ulrich, and the entire cast,” AMC said in a statement to TVLine. “We are unfortunately unable to proceed with a second season, but Season 1 will remain available on AMC+ to fans who want to relive this thrill-ride-of-a-series and those yet to discover it.”
What do you think? Have you watched the Parish TV show? Are you disappointed this crime drama wasn’t renewed for a second season on AMC?