Nellie Andreeva

At the top of the Showtime executive session at TCA, entertainment president David Nevins announced that cancer comedy The Big C will conclude its run with a “special limited run of 4 hourlong installments. “From its inception it has been unique in tone,” Nevins said of the dark comedy, praising creator Darlene Hunt and showrunner Jenny Bicks, who, along with star Laura Linney, are set to return for the final chapter. “The show began in the summer in Season 1, went through spring and winter in Seasons 2 and 3″ and will conclude in “a new form-breaking way.” The departures of The Big C and Weeds have been part of what has been “a transformative year for us,” Nevins said, “time for renewal and reinvention when we’re saying good-bye to some beloved series and getting ready to welcome some new ones.”

Related: Showtime’s ‘The Big C’ To End After Four Seasons?

Nevins also gave an update on the status of several other Showtime series. He said that drama Dexter going for two more seasons is still “the likely scenario”, but “I’d be stupid if I didn’t leave the door open… Everything is getting rewired this season in an interesting way, we’ll see where that carries us.”

Related: ‘Dexter’ Plot Twist Gives New Life To Showtime’s Star: TCA

On costume drama Borgias, currently in production on Season 3, “the original plan was to go for four seasons, that still is the likely thing.” Nevins also said that Shameless, now in production on Season 3, “has got a long future; it is a big hit.”

Comedy Episodes, now in its second season: “We’re now working details but I expect it to come back,” Nevins said, noting that the show has been “irregular,” with longer gaps between seasons, but said that was by design as creators David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik want to write and edit every episode.

Related: Showtime & Imagine Team For Aztec Drama Directed By Ron Howard & Penned By Jose Rivera

Nevins also talked about the Ron Howard/Jose Rivera Aztec drama Conquest, which we wrote about earlier today. Stressing that the project is in “early stages of development,” Nevins said that “it has genre elements of supernatural and horror, really frightening gruesome stuff…(as) magic and mysticism are at the core of the belief system of Spanish Catholics and Aztecs. It’s kind of a period show that no one has done.”

At the session, Nevins also showed previews for new drama series Ray Donovan and Masters Of Sex.

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