"I am Cait," Caitlyn Jenner's E! docu-series has officially been cancelled.
Jenner's announcement came on the heels of news reports claiming the series would not be returning for a third season, amid poor ratings and a lukewarm reception from trans viewers. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a mere 745,000 viewers tuned in to the second season's premiere in March - a figure nearly 2 million off from the series' launch. Both Jenner and the cable network initially denied such claims; however, after Jenner's official announcement last Tuesday, it seems the cancellation has already been finalized.
In a press release, E! praised "I am Cait" for being a groundbreaking docu-series which highlighted the achievements and struggles of transgender people, and raised awareness for their cause. E! further toldVulture the cancellation was a mutual decision, and that Jenner will always be part of the cable network's family. In fact, despite the series' abrupt end, Jenner will still be gracing the small screen by appearing regularly on her family's hit show "Keeping up with the Kardashians." She is also expected to guest star on the next season of comedy series "Transparent." The series, which similarly explores gender identity issues, has received numerous awards, even making history as the first online series to ever win at the Golden Globes.
"I am Cait," which debuted last summer, followed former Olympian Bruce Jenner through his transition to becoming Caitlyn, a transgender woman. Its first episode gave E! its largest audience for a premiere in four years, garnering 2.7 million viewers in total. The second season, which focused more on Jenner's newfound life following her transition, however, saw a significant dip in ratings. One of the episodes, in fact, brought in merely 480,000 viewers as opposed to the millions in the first season.
Despite the numerous setbacks encountered by the show during its last season, "I am Cait" still received accolades as a testament to its groundbreaking subject matter. The series was awarded the Outstanding Reality Program at the 2016 GLAAD Media Awards last April.
