Atlantis co-creator Johnny Capps has spoken out in a new interview with The Guardian, saying it was "unfair" to allow the axe to fall on the BBC show before the second season had finished airing.
Capps went on to explain that the BBC "had to decide" the fate of the show within the first six episodes of the second season's broadcast, which led to the decision to call it a day on the series.
"[That] was unfair because you're making a judgement before the series is even finished - how are you supposed to know how it will be received by the audience?" he asked.
"In the middle of the episodes shown before Christmas there was a bit of a drop in viewing figures - but it picked up again towards the end.
"When Breaking Bad started, it had its own difficulty with viewing figures. The second series had a dip, but because it then went on to Netflix, the audience grew.
"It is considered one of the best shows ever and yet had it been on the BBC - or any of the terrestrial channels - it might have been axed, too."
Reflecting on the series, Capps goes on to admit that he and co-writers Julian Murphy and Howard Overman could have written a "darker tone" into Atlantis from the very beginning.
He explained: "If we knew the time slot would be pushed back to a later one for series two, we could have made it darker and more serious. Scheduling plays a massive part in a show's success."
Capps also revealed that a third season was to adapt the story of Jason and the Argonauts, but he's still refusing to rule out a potential revival of the series in the future.
"Never say never. But the longer you leave it, the more difficult it gets. If there's a strong audience demanding it, it's much easier to bring it back."
Atlantis continues airing its final episodes this coming Saturday, at 7.45pm on BBC One.
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