ONTD

Syfy has canceled "Sanctuary" after four seasons, the network confirmed Monday, ending months of speculation and smashing fans' hopes for a fifth season.

The series, about a team led by semi-immortal scientest Helen Magnus that protects and/or captures the world's abnormals--those beings that hunt or are hunted by humans--starred Amanda Tapping, Robin Dunne, Ryan Robbins, Christopher Heyerdahl and Agam Darshi. It completed its fourth season last fall.

Tapping said on Twitter Monday: "To all the fans of @SanctuarySeries we love and adore you. Thank you for the love and support. Now to the long dark tea time of my soul. :("

"We couldn't be prouder of the four seasons we made on 'Sanctuary,'" executive producers Damian Kindler, Tapping and Martin Wood said in a statement from Syfy. "We are very grateful for the opportunity and must acknowledge the wonderful work from our cast and crew, the support from our studio, the Beedie Group--who have been with us right from the start, the networks who worked so hard with us each week, and most of all the fans ... we owe so much to the fans."

Mark Stern, Syfy's president of original content, praised the creative team behind the groundbreaking series. "We're honored to have been part of this incredible series," Stern said in the statement. "It's been an amazing ride and we look forward to our next project with Amanda Tapping, Martin Wood and Damian Kindler."

Sanctuary For Kids, the charitable foundation started by the "Sanctuary" team, will continue, Tapping said on Twitter Monday.

Reaction from fans was of disappointment and anger toward Syfy, but support for the "Sanctuary" cast and crew. "Wow... Truly overwhelmed by all the wonderful #Sanctuary messages," Robbins tweeted. "You guys continue to be full of awesomeness. #bestfansever"

The cast and crew seemed to take it in stride Monday (I imagine they've known for some time), giving Syfy only warm wishes for having aired the show for four seasons.

"Thank you to @Syfy and @SPACEchannel for all the support and to @craigengler for his personal friendship. We had a good run," tweeted Gillian Horvath, who wrote and produced for "Sanctuary" for two years. She is currently executive producing/writing "Primeval: New World," a Canadian expansion of the British time-traveling dinosaurs series.

Like Horvath, other members of the "Sanctuary" team iare working on other projects. Wood and Tapping will direct episodes of "Primeval" during its first season, while Robbins co-stars in Season 2 of TNT's "Falling Skies" and Heyerdahl appears in HBO's "True Blood."

Read the full text of Syfy's statement below.

Syfy's Sanctuary will not be returning for a fifth season, making the recently-aired fourth season its final, it was confirmed today by Mark Stern, President, Syfy Original Content and Co-Head, Universal Cable Productions.

"We're honored to have been part of this incredible series. In addition to garnering unmatched devotion by fans worldwide, Sanctuary was a bona fide trailblazer, setting new standards with its highly innovative production techniques--including pioneering green screen and RED camera technology--and Emmy-nominated visual effects," remarked Stern.  "It's been an amazing ride and we look forward to our next project with Amanda Tapping, Martin Wood and Damian Kindler."

Executive Producers Damian Kindler, Amanda Tapping and Martin Wood said, "We couldn't be prouder of the four seasons we made on Sanctuary. We are very grateful for the opportunity and must acknowledge the wonderful work from our cast and crew, the support from our studio, the Beedie Group--who have been with us right from the start, the networks who worked so hard with us each week, and most of all the fans ... we owe so much to the fans.

"From Sanctuary, we also started our charitable foundation Sanctuary for Kids which has raised over $250,000 for children in crisis worldwide. We will be continuing our work with Sanctuary for Kids and are so thankful for the Sanctuary fans and their amazing support and generosity."