Fox cancels 'The Following' after 3 seasons

First Joe Carroll died and now The Following has too. Fox has canceled the Kevin Bacon-starring serial killer drama after three seasons, EW has learned.

The drama, which made a splash when it debuted in Jan. 2013, told the story of dogged FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon), who spent years tracking down Poe-obsessed Joe Carroll (James Purefoy). But the series has struggled in the ratings this season, Joe’s execution be damned. A recent outing drew 3.22 million viewers and a 1.1 in the demo.

We’re told studio Warner Bros. is ready to search for a new home for the series. While there have been rumors that Hulu—which streams previous episodes of The Following and is also considering rescuing Fox’s The Mindy Project—is a candidate, we’re told the streaming outlet is unlikely to rescue the dark drama.

The network also pulled the plug on freshman drama Backstrom, which hailed from Bones‘ Hart Hanson and starred Rainn Wilson as the titular self-destructive and bigoted detective. Though Hanson’s other Fox drama got a renewal, it’s not surprising Backstrom isn’t returning: It’s series finale only drew 2.8 million viewers and a .7 in the demo.

We’re in the thick of a frantic annual three-day period of TV broadcasters making big decisions, so expect more series orders today—and perhaps some verdicts on existing shows as well. Follow @jameshibberd and @natalieabrams for up-to-the-minute details.