A&E has confirmed it will not renew Patrick Swayze's Chicago-set police drama The Beast for a second season. The series, which premiered in January, starred Swayze as Charles Barker, a rogue undercover FBI agent teamed up with rookie Ellis Dove ( Travis Fimmel). Rumors about the fate of the show have been swirling for weeks, but A&E did not announce its decision to cancel it until Monday.
Swayze has been battling pancreatic cancer for more than a year. He filmed 13 episodes of The Beast, the season finale of which aired April 23, while undergoing treatment for the disease. Reviews for the series were mixed and its audience averaged 1.3 million viewers through the 13 episodes.
A&E President Bob DeBitetto said Swayze's work on the show was "an inspiration to us all" and the series "has truly been a labor of love for everyone," but added that "after careful deliberation we have reluctantly decided not to attempt a second season."
A memoir by Swayze and Lisa Niemi, his wife of more 30 years, is scheduled for publication in the fall. The book is expected to offer an intimate account of his childhood, career and marriage, as well as his fight against the cancer.
