Category: Cancelled

by Regina Avalos, September 27, 2023

(Photo: Starz)

The Venery of Samantha Bird will not air on Starz after all. The cable network has canceled its plans for the series with only two episodes left to film. Production was halted on the series back in May due to the start of the WGA strike. The series was ordered by the network in October 2022.

Starring Katherine Langford (13 Reasons Why), Finn Jones, Embeth Davidtz, Francesca Reale, Brenda Strong, Adam Faison, Shalini Bathina and Tyrone Marshall Brown, the series follows a woman who enters into a romance with her childhood sweetheart after returning home to New England. Deadline described the series as a “haunting portrayal of addictive love and the repercussions that a relationship has on the families in a small New England town.”

Anna Moriarty created the series, which was set for eight episodes. It is unknown if those behind the series will shop it to other outlets.

What do you think? Were you planning to watch The Venery of Samantha Bird when it arrived on Starz?

by Regina Avalos, September 19, 2023

(Photo: Netflix)

Hilda is returning soon for its third and final season. Netflix has announced that the last episodes of the animated series will arrive on December 7th, per Deadline. The first three episodes of the season will be shown at the Ottawa International Animation Festival later this week.

Starring Bella Ramsey (The Last Of Us), Ameerah Falzon-Ojo, Oliver Nelson, Daisy Haggard, and Rasmus Hardiker, the series follows Hilda (Ramsey) as she travels to the magical wilderness of Trolberg, where she makes friends and discovers mysterious creatures.

Chantal Ling, Vice President, Original Series & Co-Productions, Mercury Filmworks said the following about the Netflix series:

“While it is always tough to see the end of a series that has been so professionally gratifying, we are thrilled to showcase the latest epic adventures of our heroine Hilda in this final season at the Ottawa International Animation Festival and for audiences around the world to be entertained when the series premieres on Netflix later this year.”

Kurt Mueller, EVP of Creative Content, Sony Pictures Television — Kids, reflected, “The production of Hilda, much like the show’s central storyline, has been a long, winding journey — and a deeply rewarding one at that.”

What do you think? Are you a fan of Hilda? Will you be sad to see this animated series end?

by Trevor Kimball, September 16, 2023

(Photo by: ABC/Matt Miller)

Dean Williams’ journey won’t continue for a third season. The Wonder Years has been cancelled by ABC. The second season of ten episodes finished airing a month ago.

A coming-of-age comedy series, The Wonder Years TV show was inspired by the original 1988 series. This incarnation stars Don Cheadle, Elisha “EJ” Williams, Dule Hill, Saycon Sengbloh, Laura Kariuki, Julian Lerner, Amari O’Neil, and Milan Ray. Guests in season two include Patti LaBelle, Wayne Brady, Tituss Burgess, Donald Faison, Phoebe Robinson, and Bradley Whitford. Set in the late 1960s, the series takes a nostalgic look at the Williams family — Black middle-class residents of Montgomery, Alabama. The story is told through the point of view of Dean (Williams), the imaginative 12-year-old son of Bill (Hill) and Lillian Williams (Sengbloh), and the younger brother of Kim (Kariuki). Dean’s friends include Cory (O’Neil), Brad (Lerner), and Keisa (Ray), Dean’s secret crush. Dean narrates the story, looking back at his childhood as an adult (Cheadle). His hopeful and humorous recollections of his past spotlight the ups and downs of growing up in that time and place and the friendship, laughter, and lessons Dean encountered along the way.

Airing on Wednesday nights this summer, the second season of The Wonder Years averaged a 0.21 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 1.78 million viewers. Compared to season one, that’s down by 50% in the demo and down by 25% in viewership in the live+same day ratings (includes DVR playback through 3:00 AM).

A year-to-year decline was not unexpected given that season two was delayed until summer when audience levels are lower. There were also 13 months between the end of the first season and the start of the second.

Hill reacted to the cancellation on Instagram and wrote:

“Be cool…. when chapter ends, another begins. Congrats to Saladin Patterson, this talented cast and our amazing crew on bringing this beautiful story to our TV screens for the last two seasons. I had hoped to share this story a little bit longer but that’s how it goes sometimes in this thing called show business. Grateful. What’s next?”

Original series cast member Danica McKeller responded to Hill’s post and wrote, “Oh no! Thank you for continuing our legacy in a beautiful way.”

Williams wrote to Hill, saying, “You will never stop being an inspiration to me. Been an honor being a part of this show with you. Cheers to what the future holds.”

The fates of The Rookie: Feds, Home Economics, and The Good Lawyer pilot are still up in the air.

What do you think? Have you watched The Wonder Years TV series on ABC? Are you disappointed that the show wasn’t renewed for a third season?

by Trevor Kimball, September 18, 2023

(Photo: HBO)

The Winning Time TV series is out. HBO has cancelled the low-rated series but gave producers time to give the show an ending. The season and series finale aired tonight.

A sports comedy-drama series, the Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty TV show is based on a book by Jeff Pearlman. The second season cast includes John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke, Gaby Hoffmann, Jason Segel, Hadley Robinson, DeVaughn Nixon, Solomon Hughes, Tamera Tomakili, Brett Cullen, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Spencer Garrett, Molly Gordon, Joey Brooks, Delante Desouza, Jimel Atkins, Austin Aaron, McCabe Slye, Thomas Mann, and Gillian Jacobs, with Michael Chiklis and Rob Morgan. The show is billed as a fast-break series about the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of professional basketball’s most revered and dominant dynasties. The second season explores the period just after the Finals in 1980 through 1984, culminating in the first professional rematch of the era’s greatest stars: Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Airing on Sunday nights, the second season of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty averages a 0.05 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 226,000 viewers. Compared to season one, that’s down by 47% in the demo and down by 40% in viewership in the live+same day ratings (includes DVR playback through 3:00 AM).

The original version of the second season finale (which was sent to critics) ends with Magic Johnson (Isaiah) sitting in the Lakers locker room following the team’s defeat to the Boston Celtics. However, in the aired version, the episode picks up five days later and focuses on team owner Jerry Buss (Reilly) and his daughter Jeanie (Robinson) on the court, reflecting on all that had been accomplished. A montage of real footage describing what happened to each of the people ends the show.

According to Vulture, HBO gave producers a heads-up about the possible cancellation in January, and they were encouraged to make an alternate ending, just in case.

Could a third season of Winning Time be produced elsewhere? Executive producer Kevin Messick is open to it if the opportunity arises. He said:

“We haven’t really dug into that. I’ll say this: We’ve figured out a way, I think stylistically and creatively, to capture the Lakers at this time. There was kind of no better advocacy than what we got in an interview from Jeanie Buss, who we were able to finally sit down with last week.

[She] loves the show, misses her father when she watches it, is kind of wowed by the detail, is blown away by the performances of our younger actors like Quincy Isaiah and Solomon Hughes. When I showed her the two different endings, just so that she knew what was coming, she had a pit in her stomach because she lived through the loss in ’84. The first thing she said is, “You can’t end there!”

And then I showed her [the ending which aired], and she teared up seeing both the scene with her and her father, and the accomplishments that everybody went on to achieve, including her. I know it’s effective because the person that was in the room where it happened was affected by it. But, again, it wasn’t where we wanted to land.”

What do you think? Have you enjoyed watching the Winning Time TV series? Are you disappointed HBO didn’t renew this sports drama for a third season?

by Regina Avalos, September 12, 2023

(Photo: HBO)

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel is ending. The HBO series will come to a close with its current 29th season, which began in January. The monthly newsmagazine debuted in April 1995, and 317 episodes have aired to date. Hosted by Gumbel, the program is executive-produced by Joe Perskie.

Per Deadline, Gumbel said the following about ending the long-running HBO sports news series:

“Since Day 1 at Real Sports, we’ve consistently tried to look beyond the scoreboard and focus instead on the many societal issues inherent in the world of sports. In the process we’ve had the opportunity to tell complex stories about race, gender, class, opportunity and so much more. Being able to do so at HBO for almost 3 decades has been very gratifying. I’m proud of the imprint we’ve made, so I’m ready to turn the page. Although goodbyes are never easy, I’ve decided that now’s the time to move on.”

Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content, also spoke about the series ending:

“For 29 seasons, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel has delivered a masterclass in sports storytelling. … As the longest-running HBO series, Bryant and his Real Sports team have long been a cornerstone of HBO programming. The series will continue to resonate in the realm of sports journalism, and we are so proud to have been part of such a remarkable odyssey.”

The end date for the series was not revealed.

What do you think? Are you a fan of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel? Will you be sad to see the sports newsmagazine end?

by Regina Avalos, August 31, 2023

The Great has been cancelled after three seasons on Hulu, per Deadline. The 10-episode third season arrived on the streaming service in May.

Created by Tony McNamara, the period dramedy series follows the life of Catherine the Great, who ruled during the late 1700s in Russia. Starring Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Phoebe Fox, Adam Godley, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield, Douglas Hodge, Sacha Dhawan, Bayo Gbadamosi, and Belinda Bromilow, the series’ third season follows Catherine (Fanning) and her husband (Hoult) as they try to repair their troubled marriage.

Hulu gave no reason for the cancellation of the well-received series. During its run, The Great received numerous award nominations, including nominations for an Emmy, a SAG, a Critics Choice, an Independent Spirit Award, and two Golden Globe nominations for Fanning. The series took home the Emmy for Outstanding Period Costumes in 2022.

SPOILER ALERT. Fortunately for viewers, The Great didn’t end with a big cliffhanger. Following the death of Peter, she pushes through her grief and comes out the other side stronger. The series ends with Catherine having grown as a ruler. She dances with newfound confidence and a  shorter hairstyle.

What do you think? Are you sad to hear that this series has been cancelled and will not return for a fourth season on Hulu? Did you want to see more of this story?

by Trevor Kimball, August 28, 2023

(Photo by: HBO)

HBO is done with the world of The Idol. The cable channel has cancelled the drama series so there won’t be a second season. The first season of five episodes finished airing in early July.

A drama series, The Idol TV show stars Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Lily-Rose Depp, and Troye Sivan with Dan Levy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Eli Roth, Hari Nef, Jane Adams, Jennie Ruby Jane, Mike Dean, Moses Sumney, Rachel Sennott, Ramsey, Suzanna Son, and Hank Azaria. In the story, Jocelyn (Depp) is a young up-and-coming pop idol who’s under tremendous pressure. She had a mental breakdown during her previous concert tour, derailing her career. Jocelyn’s determined to claim what she believes to be her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America. As she preps for her triumphant return, a leaked photo sends her and her team into crisis mode. Her passion for music is rekindled when she meets Tedros (Tesfaye), a nightclub tycoon with a history marked by scandal. He’s also a self-help guru and the leader of a contemporary cult.

Airing on Sunday nights, the first season of The Idol averaged a 0.03 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 164,000 viewers in the live+same day ratings (including DVR playback through 3:00 AM). It was one of HBO’s lowest-rated shows in recent months and also drew mostly negative reviews.

Though some assumed that The Idol was a limited series, HBO had been considering a second season renewal until recently. Another season could have focused on a different story but the cable channel has decided to move on.

“The Idol was one of HBO’s most provocative original programs, and we’re pleased by the strong audience response,” an HBO spokesperson said in a statement. “After much thought and consideration, HBO, as well as the creators and producers have decided not to move forward with a second season. We’re grateful to the creators, cast, and crew for their incredible work.”

What do you think? Have you enjoyed The Idol TV series on HBO? Are you disappointed to hear this drama wasn’t renewed for a second season?

by Regina Avalos, August 28, 2023

(Photo: Disney+)

Nautilus is not headed to Disney+ after all. Ordered two years ago by the streaming service, the live-action UK series has been cancelled due to cost-cutting measures announced in May by Disney.

Based on Jules Verne’s classic novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the series tells the origin story of Captain Nemo and his famous submarine, The Nautilus. Shazad Latif, Georgia Flood, Thierry Frémont, Pacharo Mzembe, Arlo Green, Tyrone Ngatai, Ling Cooper Tang, Andrew Shaw, Ashan Kumar, Céline Menville and Kayden Price star in the series.

Deadline revealed the following about the plot of the cancelled series:

In this retelling, Nemo (Latif) is an Indian Prince robbed of his birth right and family, a prisoner of the East India Company and a man bent on revenge against the forces which have taken everything from him. But once he sets sail with his ragtag crew on board the awe-inspiring Nautilus, he not only battles with his enemy, he also discovers a magical underwater world.

In addition to cost-cutting, the cancellation is also tied to the company’s recent strategy of focusing primarily on Disney-owned properties, like the Marvel and Star Wars franchises.

The 10-episode first season of Nautilus has already been filmed, and the show is now being shopped to other outlets.

The Spiderwick Chronicles, another already-filmed fantasy series, is also being shopped elsewhere.

What do you think? Do you want to see Nautilus find a new home? Would you like to see Captain Nemo’s story on the small screen?

by Regina Avalos, August 17, 2023

(Photo: HBO)

Painting with John will not be returning for a fourth season. The artist series, featuring John Lurie, has been cancelled following the third season, which aired earlier this summer.

The comedy docuseries series follows the musician, painter, and actor as he paints in watercolors and reflects on music, art, and life. There were 18 episodes created over the three-season run. The title of the show alludes to Lurie’s earlier series, Fishing with John. That ran for six episodes on IFC and Bravo in late 1991.

Lurie shared the following about the cancellation on his X account:

“I am sorry to say that season 3 of Painting with John will be the last. I am sad about it, but it is a miracle that it ever happened at all. Thanks to HBO, Adam McKay, Todd Schulman, Erik Mockus, Nesrin Wolf and AnnMary James. Show is still on Max if you haven’t seen it.”

When asked by a fan if the show could possibly be picked up by another outlet, Lurie replied, “nah, going to do something else.”

HBO released the following statement about the cancellation of the docuseries, per Variety:

“John Lurie is a singular artist whose wide range of talent speaks for itself,” HBO said in a statement. “Among so many other things, we fell in love with his gift for storytelling and his ability to take us on such a vivid and surprising journey. We loved working together with him on three incredible seasons of Painting with John.”

What do you think? Are you sad to hear that this HBO series will not be returning?

by Regina Avalos, August 19, 2023

The Peripheral is not returning for a second season on Prime Video after all. Amazon has reversed its  renewal due to the work stoppage stemming from the current writers and actors strikes in the industry. The strikes have delayed production for several shows, and those series headed into their second seasons are among the most vulnerable to cancellation.

Starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Jack Reynor, Gary Carr, Eli Goree, Louis Herthum, JJ Feild, T’Nia Miller, Charlotte Riley, Alexandra Billings, Adelind Horan, Alex Hernandez, Katie Leung, Julian Moore-Cook, Melinda Page Hamilton, Chris Coy, and Austin Rising, the series is based on the novel by William Gibson. It follows a woman (Moretz) trying to keep her family together.

The Peripheral was released in October 2022 with eight episodes, and Prime Video renewed the series in February 2023. Production on season two was set to begin later this year, with a release in 2024.

The following was said about the reversal per Deadline:

“According to sources, the cancellation stems from the length of the work stoppage due to the ongoing WGA strike, now in its 109th day, and the SAG-AFTRA strike, in Day 36, which have delayed production, creating large gaps between seasons and making shows miss their target release dates.

Still, as a large-scope sci-fi drama, it is expensive, and a delay is incurring charges that are being added to the budget, including for holding stages. Additionally, because the series had only aired one season, there would have to be a marketing campaign around its return that also would have to be factored in.”

What do you think? Did you enjoy season one of The Peripheral on Prime Video? Were you planning to watch season two of this series?

by Regina Avalos, August 19, 2023

(Photo: Prime Video)

A League of Their Own is not returning for its second and final season after all. Per Deadline, plans for season two have been cancelled due to production delays and the current actors and writers strikes in the industry.

Starring Abbi Jacobson, Chanté Adams, D’Arcy Carden, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Roberta Colindrez, Nick Offerman, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Kate Berlant, Kendall Johnson, Kelly McCormack, Alex Désert, Priscilla Delgado, Aaron Jennings, Molly Ephraim, Melanie Field, and Dale Dickey, the A League Of Their Own series is a reimaging of the Penny Marshall film of the same name. The story revolves around the 1943 formation of the Rockford Peaches, a women’s team in the newly formed All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

After a bit of a delay, Prime Video ordered a limited four-episode second season in April, but was derailed as writers and performers seek an increase in wages from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Writing on the four episodes was completed before the Writers Guild of America struck on May 2nd.

Jacobson responded to the news via social media and blamed the cancellation on the AMPTP:

What luck I have had to get to tell these stories and play this character I love so much. What a rare thing in life. And so I am sad today.

To blame this cancellation on the strike is bullshit and cowardly. But this post isn’t about all that. About all the ways this show has been put through the ringer. Not today.

This post here is about the special show I was lucky to make with so many incredibly talented artists and actors and writers and crew. A show I’m so proud of. Filled to the brim with stories worth telling. Full of so much heart and soul and value.

Thank you for watching.

To the five.

What do you think? Did you watch season one of this series? Were you planning to watch season two of A League of Their Own?

by Regina Avalos, August 12, 2023

(Photo: AMC+)

Ten Percent will not be returning for a second season. The British comedy series, called Call My Agent in the UK, aired on AMC+ and Sundance Now in the US. The series is a remake of Dix Pour Cent (“Ten Percent”), a French comedy that aired for four seasons.

Jack Davenport, Lydia Leonard, Prasanna Puwanarajah, and Maggie Steed star in the series, which is set in a London talent agency as it tries to adapt to an ever-changing industry. The first season was released in 2022 and features cameo appearances from Helena Bonham Carter, Dominic West, and David Harewood.

The UK adaptation was a co-production between Amazon Studios, Bron Studios, and Headline Pictures. It was crafted and written by showrunner John Morton.

Variety said the following about the show’s cancellation:

Despite a positive reception, numerous set backs — including the departure of Amazon Studios Europe boss Georgia Brown a few months after the show’s launch, the great streamer reset over the past year and the collapse of Bron Studios last month — meant a second season didn’t have a chance to get off the ground.

What do you think? Have you watched Ten Percent? Did you want to see more of this British comedy series?