Hallmark Channel Drops The Martha Stewart Show After Two Seasons

Hallmark Channel has canceled The Martha Stewart Show after two seasons, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The daytime show will wrap in May and continue to re-run throughout the summer, but Hallmark opted not to bring the series back because of its high production costs. Lisa Gersh, the president and COO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, said at a conference in December that the company is hoping to find a cheaper studio after the lease expires this year.

Hallmark moment: Martha Stewart moving show to cable channel

Hallmark and Stewart's company would not confirm the cancelation to THR, only releasing a statement saying that The Martha Stewart Show would continue to run through this summer. "The daytime block on Hallmark Channel demonstrated year-over-year ratings growth and earned The Martha Stewart Show two Daytime Emmy Awards in its first season on Hallmark Channel," the companies said in a joint statement. "That show will continue to air through the end of summer 2012. MSLO and Hallmark Channel are in discussions about potential new programming and concepts for daytime." 

Hallmark is still in talks with the company about renewing other Stewart-produced programs like Emeril's Table, according to the Reporter.

Watch videos of Martha Stewart

Hallmark launched an eight-hour block of Stewart-branded programs in September 2010, but following subpar ratings, that block has since been reduced to five hours.

The Martha Stewart Show was previously broadcast in syndication from 2005 to 2010. Before that, Stewart hosted Martha Stewart Living from 1993 to 2004, at which point the show went on hiatus due to Stewart's incarceration.