Channel 4 cancels thriller after just one season despite being hailed ‘brilliant’-Joel Harley-Entertainment – Metro

Eva Morgan and Sadie Soverall starred in The Gathering (Picture: Channel 4)

Channel 4 have axed the gritty thriller series The Gathering after only one season.

Made by the production company behind Line of Duty, the six-part series followed the aftermath of a violent attack on a teenage girl at an illegal beach rave in Merseyside.

Its cast included Boiling Point and Doctor Who star Vinette Robinson as the controlling mother of one of the involved teenagers, alongside Coupling actor Richard Coyle, and young talent Eva Morgan and Sadie Soverall.

The show reviewed well, with critics highlighting its authentic performances and gritty storytelling. It even won Best Series at the Monte Carlo Television Festival in June, while its actors were also individual winners.

Warren Brown won the Best Actor award for his performance, with Eva Morgan also scoring Best Actress.

However, critical acclaim didn’t translate to viewing figures, and the series has been cancelled after reportedly failing to impress executives – in spite of it doing well on the streaming service 4oD.

Warren Brown won an award for his performance in the show (Picture: Channel 4)

Executive producer Simon Heath told The Sun: ‘The series performed very well for Channel 4 but there are new people in charge and new priorities, meaning The Gathering won’t be coming back.’

Meanwhile, Deadline quoted a Channel 4 spokesperson as saying: ‘We’re very proud of The Gathering and everything it has achieved. The series championed regional voices both on-and-off screen and was widely praised for its authentic representation of Liverpool and Merseyside.

‘Every year Channel 4, like all broadcasters, must make decisions about which shows to rest, return or conclude to ensure we always innovate and offer viewers the best range of programming.

‘We’d like to thank writer and creator Helen Walsh, World Productions, the wonderful cast and all those involved in the show’s success. We look forward to working with them again on future projects.’

Vinette Robinson starred as controlling mum Natalie (Picture: Channel 4)

News of The Gathering’s cancellation will come as sad news for viewers who had become hooked on its gripping mystery.

X user helenpoolebooks wrote: ‘If anyone is looking for something good to watch, I’ve just finished #TheGathering on C4 and it was bloody brilliant. Especially so as it was filmed round here with a mostly (proper!) Scouse cast. Brilliant acting and gripping storyline. 10/10 from me.’

Others agreed, with michael___coys saying, back in August: ‘Just finished watching The Gathering on Channel 4. Top quality storyline and acting, really hope for a series 2’

‘Just finished The Gathering on channel 4, good acting and storyline,’ agreed chrisbrad75.

The show impressed with its rising stars (Picture: Channel 4)

Thankfully for those still picking up the show, its story does not finish on a cliffhanger – rest assured, all will be revealed, even if it’s not coming back for seconds.

However, it wasn’t to all tastes. Back in May, some viewers found themselves questioning whether they could stomach the ‘harrowing’ first two episodes.

It was the relationship between Jessica (Sadie) and her mother (Vinette) which had viewers most upset.

The Sherlock star played controlling parent Natalie – whose obsession with moulding her mentally fragile daughter into the perfect gymnast made the show hard to watch for some, who highlighted her behaviour as ‘definitely abuse.’

Many found its harrowing story hard to stomach (Picture: Channel 4)

The series was written by novelist Helen Walsh, who said that the idea came from a ‘dark morality tale’ based on an infamous poem.

‘I wanted to write a twisty, state-of-the-nation take on Philip Larkin’s notorious observation about parents and kids,’ she said.

‘In an era where the micro-managing of children’s lives has become the new normal, The Gathering throws today’s surveillance parenting into sharp focus and asks who is really to blame.’

The Gathering is streaming on Channel 4.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : You’ll never look at a cockapoo the same way again after watching Channel 4 horror

MORE : 90s sitcom star unrecognisable in Channel 4’s new horror series

MORE : Celebrity Gogglebox stars in tears over heartbreaking segment: ‘The world is cruel’

Entertainment – MetroRead More