Netflix Ending Vikings: Valhalla After Season 3 Was Big News. Meanwhile, Fox Quietly Canceled Its Own Second-Season Show

leif on vikings: valhalla
(Image credit: Netflix)

Netflix has produced a number of hit shows during its existence and, in early 2022, it dropped one in the form of a historical drama. I’m talking about Vikings: Valhalla – the sequel series to the hit History series Vikings. Two seasons of the show have already been produced, and a third one is set to be released in 2024. However, that prospect is now bittersweet as, in a major turn of events, it was confirmed that Season 3 will mark the end of the spinoff. Fans of the production should at least be grateful, though, because a second-season show at Fox was canceled and won’t even get the chance at a third go-around. 

It’s been confirmed that Fox’s Welcome to Flatch has been axed after two seasons. The show premiered in March 2022, and its first batch of episodes aired through May of that year. Season 2 aired in the fall of 2022 before wrapping its run this past February. A formal statement on the programming decision was released by the network and shared with Variety. Specific viewership data was not provided, though the sentiments seem to suggest the ratings did not deliver as hoped for. Nevertheless, the company thanked the show’s creative team for their efforts: 

The comedy ‘Welcome to Flatch’ will not be returning to Fox for a third season. While audience response was not as strong as we had hoped, we were thrilled with the creativity of the enormously talented Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig, as well as the outstanding, dedicated cast and crew they assembled. We look forward to collaborating with them again in the future and are thankful for all of our partners at Lionsgate, Jenny’s Perkins Street Productions, Paul’s Feigco Entertainment, BBC Studios’ Angie Stephenson, and Charlie Cooper and Daisy May Cooper.

Kelly bowling in Welcomg to Flatch

(Image credit: Fox)

Based on the U.K.-produced series This Country, the show was a mockumentary that took place in the fictional Flatch, Ohio. The premise saw a documentary crew arriving to chronicle the lives of the town’s somewhat off-kilter citizens. Holmes, Aya Cash, Sean William Scott and Jaime Pressly were among its cast members. While the show’s ratings were apparently lower than desired, it did receive somewhat positive reviews from critics. One would also think that those who did faithfully watch and enjoy both seasons will surely miss it. 

More on Vikings: Valhalla

It would probably be fair to assume that Netflix subscription holders who’ve been streaming Vikings: Valhalla are also a passionate bunch. The show already had a built-in fanbase, thanks to its predecessor. Set about a century after the exploits of Ragnar Lothbrok and. co, the show sheds light on the conflict between the Danes and the natives of England. While there are plenty of deep themes and lore explored within Jeb Stuart’s TV drama, it also provides some intense action sequences. 

What we know about Valhalla Season 3, aside from the fact that it’ll be the show’s last, is that it’ll see Leo Suter’s Harald spending a considerable amount of time in Constantinople. The episodes, which were filmed in 2022, will also feature new cast members Goran Visnjic and Florian Munteanu. It’s tough to think that the show will be bowing out next year, but it’s likely that Jeb Stuart and co. have a sweet send-off planned. As for the two-season Welcome to Flatch, it currently seems unlikely that another network might pick it up. And even if that doesn’t come to pass, the show's legacy will surely live on in the hearts of those who enjoyed it. 

Though Welcome to Flatch is now done and Vikings: Valhalla doesn’t arrive until next year, those looking for something to watch can find viable options on the 2023 TV schedule.

TOPICS
Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.