Showtime announced today that it has both renewed and canceled one of its flagship series, The Tudors. Creator Michael Hirst will see the series through to a fourth and final season (which will hopefully take a cue from the concluding Lost and answer endgame questions like "What is the smoke monster creeping out from under the door to Jonathan Rhys Meyers's trailer?").
It's only the latest execution from the suddenly bloodthirsty Showtime, which earlier this week smothered all four of its pilots in the cradle. The network should be flying high right now: it's usurped HBO as a buzz leader, and some of its most high-profile shows, including Dexter and United States of Tara, still have potentially long runs ahead of them (while past-their-prime shows like The L Word have been jettisoned). Just beware if Showtime president Bob Greenblatt interrupts your next pitch meeting to show off the guillotine he purchased off eBay, then chases you around the office while shrieking, "Nurse Jackie starring Edie Falco, coming later this year!"