There have been quite a number of cancellations so far this season (which I have covered at this link), and there are also quite a few shows waiting for word on their fates (some of which carry over from last season). Below is a look at all of the sci fi and fantasy shows that have wrapped up their current seasons but have not received a renewal yet, and I include my cancellation/renewal projections for each. Some of these could certainly benefit from a Call to Action from fans to help get them renewed or moved to a new venue. Be sure to follow our Cancellation Watch posts each week for status updates and breaking news.
Keep up with the latest news and updates with Johnny Jay’s Sci Fi TV Week in Review posts
Astrid & Lilly Save the World (Syfy, Cancellation Likely): This fun little show is one of two Syfy entries that appear to be dead in the water at this point. It did not get much in the way of promotion beyond some internal spots prior to its release, and the same-day ratings were low during its first season run. This is an acquisition and the network only makes money from the advertising which is driven by those same-day viewing stats. There has been no official word on the show’s status from the network, but this one was not included in the schedule announcements for the 2022-23 season. The showrunners do have plans to carry the story on, but fans will likely have to make some noise on the social networks for Astrid & Lilly to switch to a new venue for that to happen.
Black Summer (Netflix, Cancellation Likely): It has been a year since the second season of this zombie series was released, and that came and went with little notice. This is a much cheaper production than many of the high-dollar originals that Netflix puts out, so it seams like the streamer could give it at least a third and final season. And showrunner Kaime King does have an idea on where the story would go. But Netflix has been in cancelling mode of late and if I don’t hear any updates by the end of Summer I will consider the show to be done.
The Book of Boba Fett (Disney+, On the Bubble): The way that the first season of this Star Wars series ended suggested that the story would continue and co-showrunner had indicated that if it proved popular it could continue for more seasons. But the show debuted to mixed reviews and Disney has been silent on its fate, and series star Temuera Morrison made the comment that “they filmed it like it could just be a nice book and we’ve read the book”. If a second season of the show does not happen, expect the character to return in future seasons of The Mandalorian.
Blade Runner Black Lotus (Adult Swim/Crunchyroll, On the Bubble): This show mostly wrapped up its story in its first season, but there is still the possibility that it could continue beyond that. Its ratings on Adult Swim were decent, though I have not seen any info on how well it performed for Crunchyroll (and it is currently available for streaming on HBO Max). It has been five months since the show wrapped up, and there is no word on its fate which is not a good sign. But if fans make some noise, perhaps this one could return for a second season.
Britannia (Sky Atlantic/Epix): Radio Times in Britain seemed to believe this epic fantasy would return for a fourth season, and its third year ended on a cliffhanger. But it is approaching one year since the third season debuted on Sky Atlantic and no word yet on its fate. It is an expensive show to produce, and it has never built up much of an audience in the States (largely due to a lack of promotion). It has experienced notable delays between seasons in the past, but if there is no word on a fourth season by the end of Summer I will assume it is done.
Day of the Dead (Syfy, Cancellation Likely): This zombie-series is yet another Syfy entry that appears to be on the way out. Like Astrid & Lilly above, it did not get much promotion, it is an acquisition, and the ratings were not good in its first season. The network has said nothing about a second season since the show wrapped up in December, and it was not included on the 2022-23 schedule. So at this point, it seems almost certain that this one is buried.
Disenchantment (Netflix, On the Bubble): The typical run for a Netflix series is three to four seasons and this animated fantasy was released in four “parts” of ten episodes each, so it has reached the typical ending point for an original on that streamer. Animated shows sometimes do go longer, though, and there is still plenty of story to tell for this one, so it is not impossible this one could continue. But with no mention of future seasons during Geeked Week, its fate is uncertain at this point.
DOTA: Dragon’s Blood (Netflix, Renewal Possible): I had written off this Anime fantasy series based on the video game as ended once before, and then “Book 2” arrived with almost no notice. The series helps to promote the game, so it is possible that Netflix gets this acquisition for next to nothing and future seasons could arrive at some point.
Firebite (AMC+, Renewal Possible): This Australian vampire romp has not received a lot of attention stateside yet, but it has set itself up to continue for a second season and possibly more. It is certainly not an expensive series to produce compared to the big-dollar productions from the high-profile streamers. And AMC+ should have an incentive to bring it back to support its initial foray into scripted programming. A second season is definitely a possibility, but the more time that passes the more its fate is in doubt.
Hit Monkey (Hulu, On the Bubble): Like Helstrom and MODOK, this is one of the projects that started at the now-defunct Marvel TV before moving under Marvel Studios. There are plans in place for additional seasons of Hit Monkey, but with the other two former Marvel TV shows getting the ax, it seems more likely that this one will be one-and-done as well.
Outer Range (Prime Video, Renewal Possible): This odd little series that blends western elements with Lost-like mysteries arrived with little in the way of promotion but managed to pull decedent viewership states according to the Nielsen Streaming Rankings. It has wrapped up its first season and a second year seems like a good bet at this point.
Pandora (CW, On the Bubble): Word is that this sci fi series is moving to a different network for its third season, but it has been a year-and-a-half since its second season wrapped and there have been no updates. Showrunner Mark A. Altman seemed to confirm the third season, so keep an eye out for news on this one.
Russian Doll (Netflix, On the Bubble): The second season of this show made it into the Nielsen Streaming Top 10 for originals for the week of its premiere, but it did not make it into the Netflix Top 10. It has received some critical acclaim and some attention during awards season, but the streamer has been in cancelling mode of late and this may not be drawing enough subscriptions to justify keeping it going. Perhaps it will get a third and final season, but don’t expect anything more beyond that.
Shining Girls (Apple TV+, Renewal Possible): This time-bending series arrived on Apple TV+ with little notice and it has not stirred up a lot of buzz, though it has been generally well-received by critics and viewers (holding an 85% Fresh Rating and 88% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes). This streamer tends to renew its originals, so if the story is meant to continue beyond the book it is based on, I like its chances of returning for a second year.
Super Crooks (Netflix, On the Bubble): Netflix has been silent on the status of this show and it did not place in the viewership Top 10 for the streamer when it was released. A live-action series based on the same source material is in the works (to be titled Supercrooks) and perhaps the animated series is considered a lead-up to that and will end up as another one-and-done original from that streamer.
Two Sentence Horror Stories (CW, On the Bubble): There has been no word on a fourth season of this show and it was not included in the 2022-23 slate for The CW. But it is an inexpensive acquisition that fills time on the schedule, so it could return at some point or possibly switch to another network.
Young Justice (HBO Max, Renewal Possible): Four seasons and 98 episodes is a pretty good run for just about any show, but Young Justice may not be done yet. According to showrunner Greg Weisman, the viewership numbers are quite good on HBO Max, surpassing any of the other animated super hero shows. At this point, the streamer could consider keeping this one going for a fifth year or more.
CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the status updates of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Cancellation Watch posts. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
SciFiTVSite.com: Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and keep up with what is airing/streaming each week with our Weekly Listings.
