Why did A Discovery of Witches season 4 never happen? Explained

A Discovery of Witches hit the screens on Sky One on September 14, 2018, It has quickly caught the interest of a large audience, with its plot centered around witch Diana Bishop and vampire Matthew Clairmont. The show has been adapted from Deborah Harkness’s All Souls trilogy and has completed the story over three seasons, which corresponded to one of the trilogy’s books.

Directed by Juan Carlos Medina and produced by Bad Wolf and Sky Productions, the series features Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode in lead roles. Their performances were often praised for the depth and chemistry they had on-screen. The show was filmed across various picturesque locations in Wales and Italy, which provided a lot of weight to its visual appeal.

A Discovery of Witches also earned nomination for Best New Drama at the National Television Awards. Season 4 of A Discovery of Witches didn't happen because the show was always intended to be a limited series.

It was designed to strictly follow the story scope of the All Souls trilogy, which comprises three books. So, with each season dedicated to one book, the series concluded naturally at the end of the third season, which wrapped up the storyline as planned without extending beyond the books’ content.

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The real reason why there is no A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches (Image via Shudder)

The absence of a fourth season for A Discovery of Witches can be directly attributed to the original plan and structure of the show.

Conceived as a faithful adaptation of Deborah Harkness’s All Souls trilogy, the series was always intended to span only three seasons because each season was set to be aligning with one of the books from the trilogy.

The clear and focused approach was established to make sure that the plot remained tight and closely aligned with the author’s vision and avoid the common pitfall of diluting a story by extending it beyond its natural conclusion.

From the outset, the show's creators, including showrunner Jane Tranter, committed to adapting the trilogy without adding extraneous content or deviating from the books. It was crucial for maintaining the integrity of the original material, which is rich with historical detail and complicated character dynamics.

By limiting the series to three seasons, the show could explore the themes and characters thoroughly, without the need to introduce filler or unnecessary subplots that could detract from the main story.

The conclusion of the third season wrapped up the primary storylines and character arcs. Diana Bishop, who was the protagonist, has fully embraced her powers and her identity as a witch. The plot surrounding her relationship with Matthew Clairmont, a vampire, reached a resolution that reflected their development throughout the series.

A Discovery of Witches (Image via Shudder)

They uncovered the mysteries of the Book of Life, addressed challenges within the supernatural community and set a foundation for future peace among witches, vampires and daemons.

The decision against extending the series also respected the audience's connection to the story and its characters. Often long-running shows suffer from a decline in quality and a loss of plot focus, issues the producers wanted to avoid.

There were practical considerations as well. The actors, including Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode, along with the rest of the cast, had other commitments and projects as well. Extending the show would have required renegotiations, which might have led to scheduling conflicts.

Additionally, the financial and creative resources required to expand the universe beyond the books would have been substantial but could have provided no guarantee that the additional content would meet the high standards set by the original seasons.

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You can stream all three seasons of A Discovery of Witches on Netflix, AMC Plus and the AMC+ Amazon Channel.