Orange is the New Black to end in 2019
October 18, 2018
Netflix has confirmed the cancellation of its most popular original series, Orange is the New Black (OITNB).
The streaming platform said on Twitter late Wednesday that the comedy-drama would end next year following its seventh season.
OITNB was one of Netflix's first original series, first shown in 2013. It stars Taylor Schilling, Uzo Aduba, Laura Prepon and Kate Mulgrew.
The show is set in an American women's prison, and was inspired by Piper Kerman's memoir about her time in jail.
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The storyline revolves around a mid-30s New Yorker, who is jailed for 15 months for being caught with the profits of drug trafficking, a decade after the offense took place.
She is forced to adjust to a new tough life on the inside, where inmates regularly endure violence, intimidation and inhumane conditions.
Critically acclaimed comedy-drama
Other issues tackled during the show's run include riots, racism, sexuality, corruption, inmate deaths, and prison overcrowding.
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On Wednesday, cast members posted a video thanking fans for their support, and promised a fulfilling wrap-up to the series.
OITNB was nominated twice for Emmy awards for best TV series, and Aduba won two acting trophies.
Netflix hasn't confirmed an exact release date for the final season, only that it will stream sometime in 2019.
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In 2016, the platform acknowledged that OITNB was its most-watched original show, beating House of Cards, which also ends its run next month.
Actor Kevin Spacey was fired from House of Cards last year after sexual harassment and assault allegations were leveled against him. The final, sixth, season has been produced without him.
Netflix launched its streaming service in 2007 and ramped up its movie and TV library five years later to compete against broadcaster television.
It has since built up a global subscriber base of 127 million, and added 7 million new subscribers in the three months to September.
Despite the cancellations of its two most high-profile shows, the platform says it will spend $8 billion (€6.9 billion) on content this year — more than a quarter on original programming.
mm/eg (AP, Reuters)