Sarah Palin's Alaska Shut Down After One Season

Alaskan ex-governor's reality series gets dropped after first season

For all those who enjoyed watching Sarah Palin conquer the land of blatant self-promotion Alaska, we have some disappointing news for you...

It looks like Sunday's season finale will be the last time you'll experience this, um, pleasure.

Entertainment Weekly reports that there are no plans to send maverick producer Mark Burnett back to Wasilla, which is their way of breaking the following news: the first season of Sarah Palin's Alaska also appears to be its last.

While TLC is not commenting on the record, sources at the network tell E! News that the show was envisioned as an "eight-part special" and there was never any committment to shooting more.

Although ratings declined during its run, Sarah Palin's Alaska still attracted a solid 3.2 million viewers. According to EW, it was the ex-governor, not the cable net, who decided to pull the plug.

But why?

Well, for one, doing another season might indicate that she's not serious about running for office again. And if Palin decides to run, she would save TLC from the hassle of having to give equal-time on the network to other candidates.

Is Palin a giver or what? You betcha.

(Originally published on Jan. 8, 2011 at 10:13 a.m. PT)