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‘Duck Dynasty’ Cancelled: Reason Behind Season 12 Cancellation & Korie Robertson Talks Series Finale

By Anshu Shrivastava
Published on: 19:58 PST, Nov 18, 2016

Duck Dynasty’s era is coming to an end. A&E’s reality series will end after its current Season 11, which premiered on November 16. And Duck Dynasty’s Episode 130 will be the final episode.

On Wednesday, A&E posted a Robertson family video on its Facebook page to announce that they are bringing down the curtain on one of their biggest hits. Willie Robertson is seen saying in the video that they have decided as a family to end Duck Dynasty after its current season.

“After five years, we’ve decided as a family for this to be the final chapter of the Duck Dynasty series.”

The unscripted series follows the Robertsons, a Louisiana-based family, and their family-owned duck calling business. It is one of the most-watched nonfiction series in cable history, and according to Entertainment Weekly, Duck Dynasty averaged more than 11 million viewers during its Season 4 run. The series continues to be A&E’s highest-rated series, but it has become a gift that is no longer giving the expected returns.

The television ratings of the series have continued to slide. Fox News reported that one of the possible reasons behind Duck Dynasty’s cancellation is a”major dip” in ratings. In addition, the busy schedules of some cast members may have also played a role in the decision to end the series.

“A major ratings dip and the cast’s busy schedules outside of the series may be behind the move.”

The Duck Dynasty Season 3 finale, which aired in April 2013, saw 9.6 million viewers tuning in to watch it, and the Season 4 premiere episode created new records, delivering 11.8 million viewers, according to Fox News. But since then, the ratings have continued to dip. Season 6 opened to 4.3 million viewers, which was almost half of Season 5’s premiere episode viewership — 8.5 million. A wedding helped Duck Dynasty clock better numbers in 2015, but Season 10’s premiere episode’s ratings plummeted to a new low, with just 1.3 million viewers tuning in to watch it.

Over its five-year run, the series’ viewership and popularity not only helped A&E but it also served as a springboard for the cast, propelling them into stardom. The Robertsons have signed on projects outside of the series, making them a very busy family. Sadie Robertson, daughter of Willie Robertson and Korie Robertson, was a runner-up on Dancing With the Stars Season 19. The 19-year-old also starred in the film I’m Not Ashamed, which released on October 21.

Sadie is also a best-selling author, and in addition, her father Willie, Uncle Si, Miss Kay, John Luke and Alan Robertson have also written books, according to Fox News.

Willie also takes interest in politics and has attended political events. He was recently seen campaigning for the 45th U.S. President-elect, Donald Trump. And Uncle Si, on the other hand, is hosting the new Duck Dynasty spinoff series, Going Si-Ral, on A&E. Willie is seen co-hosting the spinoff, which debuted on November 16, immediately after the premiere of Duck Dynasty Season 11.

Meanwhile, Korie Robertson told People that the decision to end was a “little bittersweet,” adding that they have had amazing support from Duck Dynasty fans. She also said that after five years it felt like it was time to end the series. The family is going to miss the series, although they are happy about starting a new chapter, Korie said.

Speaking of what to expect in the final season of the hit series, Korie said that Willie and her adopted son, Rowdy, will feature in Season 11.

“We’re gonna introduce him a little bit more this season. His adoption was final in September and we filmed all of that and it was just an amazing moment.”

Duck Dynasty Season 11 will air through January 11, and then it will take a mini break and return on March 01, with the final seven episodes. The series ends on April 12.

[Featured Image by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images]

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