Coming as no surprise, YouTube has cancelled its paranormal drama Impulse after two seasons. Showrunner Lauren LeFranc made the announcement on Twitter yesterday and it has yet to be widely reported by the mainstream entertainment media. She indicated that there were attempts to find a new home for the series, but that nothing substantial came from those efforts. Lefranc mentioned “algorithms” in her Tweet, likely referring to the data around viewership and the number of subscriptions the show was driving to the service. She went on to say the following about the cancellation:
There are challenges that come with being on a new, fairly unknown streamer, especially given how chock-full the T.V. landscape is with well-known properties and fantastical worlds.
At its heart, “Impulse” is a show about a young woman grappling with her sexual assault and the trauma surrounding it. I would have loved to continue Henry Coles’ journey, in the way I feel she deserves.
The series arrived on YouTube in Summer 2018 with little fanfare. That was early in the streaming services attempt to ramp up its scripted programming, and it received a second season renewal despite not building up much of an audience (in part due to the lack of promotion). Season 2 debuted in Fall 2019, but YouTube had already started backing away from scripted programming at that point (its sci fi series Origin had already been cancelled after one season). Heading in to 2020, the cancellation of Impulse seemed to be immanent seeing as the streaming service is now moving towards mostly lower-cost comedies. The show did develop a devoted fanbase and they may be able to rally in an attempt to convince another venue to pick it up for a third season.
Impulse follows a sixteen-year-old girl who discovers that she has the ability to teleport and also to telekinetically move objects which are triggered after a sexual assault. She must learn how to control her abilities without allowing her emotions and fears to overcome her. It stars Maddie Hasson, Sarah Desjardins, Enuka Okuma, Craig Arnold, and Tanner Stine and it is still available for streaming on YouTube Premium.
The current season will be winding down soon and we should expect to hear word on the fate of shows such as USA’s The Purge, ABC’s Emergence, and more. You can see the status of all the currently airing, returning, and upcoming sci fi and fantasy shows on our Cancellation Watch Page. And be sure to stay tuned to this site and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
More from CancelledSciFi.com
Keep up with the ratings developments and the status of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Weekly Roundup posts. And join the #CancelledSciFiArmy on Twitter to bolster our ranks and help us fight for the struggling and cancelled sci fi and fantasy shows.
Follow our Sci Fi TV Top 5 column for the top sci fi TV stories each week.
Check out our Sci Fi TV Schedule for debut and season finale dates and follow our Weekly Listings for a rundown of the shows airing in the current week.
I just watched the show..both seasons..Needs to come back!
Sad to hear that. Was a really good show.
Yeah, it was he best show nobody was watching. It’s a shame, it really was rather good.. Smart, very human sci-fi that dealt with serious issues. It was as much about dealing with the aftermath of sexual assault as any sci-fi goings on.
I suspect it will become a minor cult classic in years to come.
Might I recommend I Am Not Okay With This on Netflix. It’s from the producers of Stranger Things, and the director of End of the F***ing World. It’s also only like 2.5 hours in total length, so you can binge it in a day or two. It’s like both of the aforementioned credits, plus a bit of “teen girl discovers ability” like Impulse. Minus the rape angle.