# Boss (TV series)
**Boss** is an American political drama television series created by Farhad Safinia that aired on the Starz network from 2011 to 2012, starring [Kelsey Grammer](https://www.edgepedia.org/kelsey-grammer) as [Tom Kane](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-kane), a ruthless mayor of Chicago concealing a degenerative brain disorder while fighting to keep his grip on power. Produced by Lionsgate Television and ordered without first producing a pilot, the series ran for 18 episodes over two seasons and ended its run on October 19, 2012.[1](https://variety.com/2012/tv/news/starz-cancels-boss-after-two-seasons-1118062430/) • [2](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/boss/umc.cmc.a9am1kdu0gq902uq9aenzbcx) Grammer won a Golden Globe for the role in 2012, but low ratings led Starz to cancel the show after its second season, leaving the story unfinished.[1](https://variety.com/2012/tv/news/starz-cancels-boss-after-two-seasons-1118062430/) • [3](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/dec/22/boss-kelsey-grammer-hams-it-up-in-pulp-political-drama-that-is-gloriously-bananas)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Network and run | Starz, 2011–2012; 18 episodes over two seasons, ending October 19, 2012[1](https://variety.com/2012/tv/news/starz-cancels-boss-after-two-seasons-1118062430/) |
| Creator | Farhad Safinia, co-writer of the 2006 feature *Apocalypto*, who wrote the first two episodes[4](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/boss-tv-review-250296/) |
| Lead role | Kelsey Grammer as Mayor Tom Kane, diagnosed with a degenerative brain disorder in the opening episode[4](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/boss-tv-review-250296/) |
| Principal awards | 2012 Golden Globe win for Grammer (Best Actor, Television Series Drama); series nominated for Best Television Series, Drama[5](https://goldenglobes.com/tv-show/boss/) |
| Season two ratings | 937,000 average viewers across multiple telecasts, slightly down from season one[1](https://variety.com/2012/tv/news/starz-cancels-boss-after-two-seasons-1118062430/) |
| Filming | On location in Chicago; pilot directed by Gus Van Sant[4](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/boss-tv-review-250296/) |
| Cancellation | Cancelled after two low-rated seasons; a two-hour concluding movie was discussed but never scheduled[1](https://variety.com/2012/tv/news/starz-cancels-boss-after-two-seasons-1118062430/) |
## Premise and characters
The series follows Tom Kane, described in Starz's own synopsis as the most powerful man in Chicago, a mayor who dominates the city's politics but leads an otherwise empty existence. In the opening episode he is diagnosed with a rare degenerative brain disorder, and he conceals the condition from nearly everyone around him: his staff are too respectful to ask questions, and only his daughter suspects something is wrong. He is estranged from his wife, Meredith, and his daughter, Emma.[2](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/boss/umc.cmc.a9am1kdu0gq902uq9aenzbcx) • [4](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/boss-tv-review-250296/) • [6](https://www.tf1.fr/tf1/boss) A Guardian retrospective described the diagnosis as a disease that will leave him vegetative within a few years.[3](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/dec/22/boss-kelsey-grammer-hams-it-up-in-pulp-political-drama-that-is-gloriously-bananas)
**Principal cast.** Kelsey Grammer plays Mayor Tom Kane. [Connie Nielsen](https://www.edgepedia.org/connie-nielsen) plays his wife Meredith Kane, and Hannah Ware plays his daughter Emma Kane. The supporting cast includes [Jeff Hephner](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeff-hephner) as Ben Zajac, a state treasurer and aspirant governor consumed by ambition; [Kathleen Robertson](https://www.edgepedia.org/kathleen-robertson) as Kitty O'Neil; Troy Garity as reporter Sam Miller; Martin Donovan as Ezra Stone; Jonathan Groff as Ian Todd; Rotimi as Darius Morrison; Sanaa Lathan as Mona Fredricks; Francis Guinan as Governor McCall Cullen; and Daniel J. Travanti.[2](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/boss/umc.cmc.a9am1kdu0gq902uq9aenzbcx) • [5](https://goldenglobes.com/tv-show/boss/) • [6](https://www.tf1.fr/tf1/boss) The Hollywood Reporter's review singled out Grammer, best known for comedy, for what it called a stunning, eye-opening dramatic turn, likening Kane to a modern King Lear with a crushing secret.[4](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/boss-tv-review-250296/)
## Production and filming
Farhad Safinia, who co-wrote the 2006 feature *Apocalypto*, created the series and wrote its first two episodes.[4](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/boss-tv-review-250296/) The pilot was directed by [Gus Van Sant](https://www.edgepedia.org/gus-van-sant), whose work the Hollywood Reporter called a beautiful directorial stamp, and the series was filmed on location in Chicago.[4](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/boss-tv-review-250296/) Starz, under network chief Chris Albrecht, took an unusual path to series: it ordered the Lionsgate-produced show without first producing a pilot, and ordered a second season in fall 2011 before the first season had even debuted.[1](https://variety.com/2012/tv/news/starz-cancels-boss-after-two-seasons-1118062430/)
## Episodes
The first season comprised 8 episodes and the second 10, for a total of 18.[6](https://www.tf1.fr/tf1/boss) The episodes carry one-word titles such as "Stasis", "Redemption", and "Consequence".[7](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/may/29/boss-kelsey-grammer-box-set-review) The final episode aired on October 19, 2012.[1](https://variety.com/2012/tv/news/starz-cancels-boss-after-two-seasons-1118062430/) Season two storylines included Kane cementing his mayoral legacy with a lavish ceremony celebrating the groundbreaking of new modernized O'Hare airport terminals.[8](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/boss/1030098582/)
## Reception and awards
**Critical reception.** Reviews of Grammer's performance were broadly positive even where the show divided critics. [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hollywood-reporter) praised his dramatic turn as the ruthless mayor.[4](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/boss-tv-review-250296/) The New York Times was more reserved: its review criticized the series for romanticizing political malfeasance, imbuing corruption with a sinister melodrama that defies common sense, while acknowledging finely drawn characters and promising material; it also described the premiere as beautifully but ponderously shot, Chicago as seen through the eyes of a stylish European auteur.[9](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/21/arts/television/boss-with-kelsey-grammer-on-starz-review.html) A 2014 Guardian box-set review called the series a Shakespearean political tragedy about a physically and mentally degenerating mayor of Chicago.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/may/29/boss-kelsey-grammer-box-set-review)
**Awards.** At the 2012 Golden Globes, Kelsey Grammer won Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama, and the series itself was nominated for Best Television Series, Drama.[5](https://goldenglobes.com/tv-show/boss/) Grammer was also nominated for the 2012 Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series.[8](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/boss/1030098582/)
**Ratings.** Audiences were small. Season two episodes averaged 937,000 viewers across multiple telecasts, slightly down from season one, and the pilot had rated poorly with things worsening from there.[1](https://variety.com/2012/tv/news/starz-cancels-boss-after-two-seasons-1118062430/) • [3](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/dec/22/boss-kelsey-grammer-hams-it-up-in-pulp-political-drama-that-is-gloriously-bananas) Variety noted that Starz was still searching for a drama with the recognition and ratings traction of HBO's *Boardwalk Empire* or Showtime's *[Homeland](https://www.edgepedia.org/homeland-tv-series)*, and *Boss* did not become that show.[1](https://variety.com/2012/tv/news/starz-cancels-boss-after-two-seasons-1118062430/)
## How it compares with other political dramas
Some critics placed *Boss* alongside *House of Cards*. A 2021 Guardian retrospective put the comparison directly: in another world, Boss might have become House of Cards, since both have a gritty, amoral main character played by an A-list star, though it called *Boss* a pulp political drama disguised as prestige TV.[3](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/dec/22/boss-kelsey-grammer-hams-it-up-in-pulp-political-drama-that-is-gloriously-bananas) A 2014 Guardian review positioned it as a less glossy, more civic cousin of the Beltway-encircled *House of Cards* and the gubernatorial parts of *The Good Wife*.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/may/29/boss-kelsey-grammer-box-set-review) The New York Times grouped it with other political dramas of the period, saying Denmark's *Borgen* and Canal Plus's *Borgia* had a steadier fix on politics, and compared its romanticized corruption unfavorably in spirit to the film *The Ides of March*.[9](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/21/arts/television/boss-with-kelsey-grammer-on-starz-review.html)
## Cancellation and legacy
Starz canceled the series after two low-rated seasons, judging that viewership was unlikely to improve in a third. The network's statement read: "After much deliberation, we have made the difficult decision to not proceed with Boss."[1](https://variety.com/2012/tv/news/starz-cancels-boss-after-two-seasons-1118062430/) • [8](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/boss/1030098582/) At cancellation, Starz confirmed discussions for a two-hour movie that would act as a creative conclusion to the series, but set no timetable for it.[1](https://variety.com/2012/tv/news/starz-cancels-boss-after-two-seasons-1118062430/) The Guardian's 2021 retrospective recorded that no such resolution arrived: the story was left forever unfinished despite good reviews and awards buzz.[3](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/dec/22/boss-kelsey-grammer-hams-it-up-in-pulp-political-drama-that-is-gloriously-bananas) The 2014 review noted the show retained a devoted cult following despite its nosediving ratings.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/may/29/boss-kelsey-grammer-box-set-review)
**Distribution.** In the United Kingdom the series aired on [Channel 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/channel-4)'s More4, scheduled as a nightcap after *The Good Wife* and *Nashville*.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/may/29/boss-kelsey-grammer-box-set-review) [Availability](https://www.edgepedia.org/availability) has since narrowed: [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide)'s listing reports the series is currently not available to stream, although Netflix maintains a catalog page describing it as a dark drama starring Kelsey Grammer, Connie Nielsen, and Kathleen Robertson, created by Farhad Safinia.[8](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/boss/1030098582/) • [10](https://www.netflix.com/title/70211213)
## References
1. [Starz cancels 'Boss' after two seasons, Variety](https://variety.com/2012/tv/news/starz-cancels-boss-after-two-seasons-1118062430/)
2. [Boss, Apple TV listing](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/boss/umc.cmc.a9am1kdu0gq902uq9aenzbcx)
3. [Boss: Kelsey Grammer hams it up in pulp political drama that is gloriously bananas, The Guardian (2021)](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/dec/22/boss-kelsey-grammer-hams-it-up-in-pulp-political-drama-that-is-gloriously-bananas)
4. [Boss: TV Review, The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/boss-tv-review-250296/)
5. [Boss, Golden Globes official record](https://goldenglobes.com/tv-show/boss/)
6. [Boss (Série), TF1+](https://www.tf1.fr/tf1/boss)
7. [Boss, box set review, The Guardian (2014)](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/may/29/boss-kelsey-grammer-box-set-review)
8. [Boss, Where to Watch and Stream, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/boss/1030098582/)
9. ['Boss,' With Kelsey Grammer on Starz, The New York Times (2011)](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/21/arts/television/boss-with-kelsey-grammer-on-starz-review.html)
10. [Watch Boss, Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/title/70211213)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Genre and subject-scripted series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license