Sci Fi TV Network Scorecard: Amazon

Network Scorecard: Scoring the networks based on their history of airing and supporting sci fi and fantasy television shows.

Network Overview

Amazon’s streaming service got its start in the 00’s with various names including Unbox and Instant Video. By the 2010’s they had settled on the Prime Video moniker and by the 2012-13 season they were offering scripted originals on streaming along with acquired shows and movies. Amazon’s first sci fi original was The Man in the High Castle which debuted in 2015 and has since become an acclaimed genre entry. The streamer has not been nearly as prolific with its original output as Netflix, having only put out just over fifty shows so far (not including foreign productions) vs. close to two hundred for Netflix. But Prime Video’s output has included several notable entries and the streamer continues to prove itself as a contender in scripted programming.

What Type of Sci Fi Shows Does the Network Air?

Like Netflix, Amazon’s genre selections on Prime Video have been quite diverse. It has put out straight science fiction entries like The Man in the High Castle and Tales from the Loop. It has offered superhero shows like The Boys and Invincible. It has ventured into the supernatural/fantasy realm with Carnival Row and Britannia. It has offered comedies like The Tick and Upload. It saved The Expanse from cancellation after Syfy gave up on that show. And it has had some off-the-wall originals like Undone and Good Omens. So the streamer has been willing to try many different things and has also shown some patience with its shows. For this analysis, I am focusing on the Amazon originals that are targetted primarily at the U.S. audience. This includes some co-productions but mostly excludes foreign productions because they may have different deals impacting their fates.

How Quick is the Network to Cancel Sci Fi Shows?

While Amazon does cancel shows as do any of the televison networks, it has typically been patient with its originals.  Across all of its programming, the cancellation rate for new shows has been 38% after one season with and additional 10% getting cancelled after two seasons and another 10% ending or getting cancelled after three.  Sci fi and fantasy entries make up about a third of the network’s output and they have a slightly lower cancellation rate.  Genre shows have been cancelled 35% of the time after one season, 6% after two, and another 6% have been cancelled or ended after three seasons.  That is certainly a lower cancellation rate than the Big Four broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC) and also lower than Netflix over the past five years.

Amazon New Scripted Programming 2012-13 Season thru 2020-21 Season

Does the Network Have a Three-to-Four Season Wall?

As the numbers show above, not many shows make it to four seasons on Amazon and even fewer to five which is typical of the streaming services.  Their model is built on driving new subscribers to the service, and diminishing returns come into play the longer a show runs.  The general viewership trend for all shows is for the audience numbers to drop off each season, and for the streamers there is likely an even steaper decline with new subscriptions linked to a show that has been running several seasons.  Amazon has not gone the same churn route as Netflix, constantly cranking out new shows while discarding others that may have a season or two under their belt.  But the expected tenure for its originals typically tops out in the three-to-four season range.  Highly acclaimed The Man in the High Castle ended after four years even though its creators had at least five planned (and it definitely could have benefited from a fifth season).  The Expanse was picked up by the streamer, but only for an additional three seasons as its upcoming sixth year has been announced as its last.  The highly-watched superhero entry The Boys could break the four-season wall as could the upcoming Wheel of Time series, but those will likely be the exception, and four seasons (at max) should be the expected cap for most Amazon shows.

Network Score

I give Amazon a score of 3 ½ on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest). The network has been willing to pick up sci fi and fantasy originals and has been patient with them for the most part.  It has cancelled some fan-favorites after one season like Truth Seekers and it bowed out of the fantasy entry Britannia after one year (that show has since produced two more seasons in Britain).  But for the most part it has typically allowed its genre entries to go for at least two years and has quite a number of active shows currently on its slate plus major franchises like The Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings in the works. Up to this point, Prime Video appears to be a decent landing spot for sci fi and fantasy shows, and they have a better than average chance of surviving beyond their first season. Amazon does not add too many new titles each year, but it also does not churn through shows like Netflix. Three or four seasons may be the max that most of its shows go, but that appears to be the current trend across most of the streaming services.

List of Sci Fi/Fantasy Originals

This is a list of the scripted sci fi and fantasy shows that have debuted on Amazon since it began producing original content. The streamer currently has seven active shows carrying into the upcoming season plus several more in the works.  Shows that have had their final season announced are counted as ended below. The list is sorted by number of seasons, and if the show has officially been renewed that is included in the season count.

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