Syfy has decided to pull the plug on Caprica, the underwhelming prequel to Battlestar Galactica that has struggled all year to build momentum and audience, to no avail.

"We appreciate all the support that fans have shown for Caprica and are very proud of the producers, cast, writers and the rest of the amazing team that has been committed to this fine series," said Mark Stern, programming head at Syfy. "Unfortunately," Stern added, "despite its obvious quality Caprica has not been able to build the audience necessary to justify a second season."

Or, for that matter, continuing to air the first season, since Caprica is being yanked off the air immediately. The next episode slated to air on Tuesday, Nov. 2, has been replaced by a rerun of Star Trek: The Next Generation. (The title of the NextGen episode in question, "A Matter of Time," might have been the motto of Caprica's doomsayers.) The remaining five episodes of the first season will air sometime during early 2011.

Caprica Canceled