'Black Sails' season 4 spoilers news 2016: Season 4 will be period drama's last

"Black Sails" is coming to an end.

On Wednesday, July 20, Starz announced that "Black Sails" season 4 will be the show's last. The final season, which will consist of 10 episodes, will return in 2017 with its pirates battling it out in the West Indies.

"Black Sails" is set roughly 20 years prior to the events in Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel "Treasure Island." It follows the story of Captain Flint (Toby Stephens), the most feared pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy.

"It's a rare privilege in television to be given the kind of creative freedom we've enjoyed on this show over the last four years," "Black Sails" executive producer and co-creator Jonathan E. Sternberg said in a statement.

According to Sternberg, while the decision to end the series was difficult, "we simply couldn't imagine anything beyond it that would make for a better ending to the story nor a more natural handoff to Treasure Island."

"'Black Sails' has been a tremendous success; from the loyal fan following and strong viewership numbers to awards recognition and the skill of our world-class production in Cape Town, we could not be more proud of this very special series," Starz managing director Carmi Zlotnik said, adding that season 4 will bring viewers right at the shores of "Treasure Island," which has always been the intention.

"Black Sails" was the first original series from Starz to continue beyond its first three seasons. On Tuesday, the cable network issued a double season renewal for its popular crime drama "Power," giving it the record.

The Hollywood Reporter noted that the decision to conclude "Black Sails" may have been a consequence of Starz's restructuring of its program schedule. The network is reportedly moving some of its highly rated programs to the Sunday block in an attempt to compete with networks such as HBO and Showtime.

The "Black Sails" season 4 premiere date is yet to be announced.