Thoughts on the Cancellation of Rubicon (RIP)

If you haven't yet heard the news: http://tvgeekarmy.com/post/viewPost/amc_cancels_rubicon_after_one_terrifically_chilly_and_thrilling_season/cefac620857547a802b04bf4cb21f3f5

So I've barely even watched Rubicon. It's one of the shows that I'm in the middle of catching up on, but I've only seen one episode so far. But still -- come on, AMC! I'm sad that the show isn't going to be on any more, and the move doesn't make any sense to me. AMC was finally getting its shit together as a network, and it was getting a stellar headlining group of shows with "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad". And Rubicon was supposed to be the third one, the "Prison Break" to those other shows' "24" and "American Idol", with "The Walking Dead" coming in to be, I don't know, "Hell's Kitchen" maybe?

Comparisons to mid-aughts FOX shows aside, "Rubicon" seemed like it would be around for a very long time. And another thing - this is AMC! It's not like they have all of these options like the major networks that they can just cancel one of their top shows on a whim. It's not like they have high standards for their ratings anyways. Mad Men regularly gets below-average ratings even for cable, and it's less-watched than many mediocre TNT shows, but AMC keeps it on because it gives them credibility with the critics.

Maybe AMC does have more opportunities these days for high-quality programming. But when you look at their lineup, it's not exactly a deep schedule. And it's still seen as a poor man's HBO, just like it was several years ago when Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner came to the network only after being turned down by the most premium of cable networks.So I don't understand this decision at all. AMC had the chance to make it to the majors, but instead they majorly shot themselves in the foot.