A&E Reluctantly Cancels ‘The Beast’
Patrick Swayze Series Called a “Labor of Love”
Now it’s official. Basic-cable network A&E announced on Monday, June 15, that the end of Patrick Swayze‘s gritty FBI crime drama The Beast has arrived.
According to the basic-cable network’s president Bob DeBitetto, although the show was “a labor of love for everyone,” A&E “reluctantly” opted to cancel it “after careful deliberation.” The decision-making process surely took into account lead actor Swayze’s current struggle with pancreatic cancer, which he was diagnosed with in March 2008 and battled while filming the series.
The Beast was shot in Chicago, and it includes 13 episodes that aired from January 15 to April 23 this year. The Hollywood Reporter also notes DeBitetto’s description of Swayze’s performance as “an inspiration to us all,” an observation I gladly second.
Patrick Swayze and Travis Fimmel/The Beast photo courtesy of A&E
