The Circle Cancelled in the UK

One of the world's most buzzworthy reality series will not be returning for a new season. According to a recent report from Variety, Channel 4 has elected not to renew the UK iteration of The Circle for a fourth season or series. The reality show, which hails from Studio Lambert and Motion Content Group, finds players isolated in apartments, chatting with each other solely through a specially-designed digital app, with the freedom to present themselves or play as a catfish. The series, which initially began in 2018, has become a bonafide hit, with Netflix franchising the idea and adapting it into a number of additional markets, including America, France, and Brazil. The American iteration of the series just wrapped up its second season last week, and has already been greenlit for a third.

"The Circle has been a huge hit for young audiences and has grown successively over three seasons on Channel 4, consistently outperforming slot averages," a spokesperson for Channel 4 said in a statement. "We're incredibly proud to have worked with Studio Lambert North and Motion Content Group to invest in such an innovative show and to have given it a springboard for its international format success."

"In much the same way as when we originally commissioned The Circle, Channel 4 has a responsibility to continually look at how we reinvent and create space for new ideas, and so we have decided not to commission the show for a fourth season," the statement continues. "We'd like to thank Studio Lambert, Motion and all those involved for The Circle's huge success over the last three series."

According to Variety's reporting, Season 3 of The Circle UK was up 12% in viewing for individuals over season 2, with audience share for season 3 was also up 43% over the slot average. Some have speculated that Netflix could end up gaining the streaming rights for The Circle UK, and potentially help make the fourth season.

What do you think of The Circle UK being cancelled at Channel 4 after three seasons? Do you hope Netflix ultimately saves the series? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!