USA Network purges The Purge & assassinates Treadstone

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

The USA Network, citing a programming strategy shift, has opted not to renew The Purge or Treadstone for new seasons. Both series were based on popular Universal movie franchises, THE PURGE & BOURNE, respectively. The Purge ends its run after two seasons while Treadstone was one and done.

The big problem for both series was that they were both incredibly expensive & weren't attracting enough live viewers to warrant renewals. The Purge started strong in season one but viewership was down 50% this season, although it was still a steady & solid demo performer. Treadstone drew 502,000 viewers for its live airings and even saw solid numbers in delayed viewing but the live ratings weren't high enough to be offset by streaming deals the series' had with Amazon Prime.

Another reason for the cancellations is that the network is stepping away from ongoing scripted series and toward more live and unscripted programming, along with “event-emphasized” scripted projects. This strategy is being implemented by other basic cable networks such as Turner, A+E, and ViacomCBS nets. Live and unscripted programming is cheaper to produce and the ratings threshold isn't as high when compared to high-profile scripted programming. 

The Purge series, based on the popular horror movie franchise, revolved around a 12-hour period when all crime, including murder, is legal in an altered America ruled by a totalitarian political party. Treadstone, taking its inspiration from the hugely successful BOURNE films, explored the origin story and present-day actions of a CIA black ops program known as Operation Treadstone which is a covert program that uses behavior-modification protocol to turn recruits into nearly superhuman assassins. 

Are YOU sad to see these shows go?