[Update 5/31/23]
Below is the full rundown of the sci fi and fantasy shows from the 2021-22 season that were cancelled or that ended. This includes some carryovers from the prior season that had late cancellation announcements as well as several shows that appear to have been cancelled without official notice and that I am counting as done for now. For fans that want to help any of these shows or those still awaiting word on their fates, a Call to Action on the social networks would be a good place to start. And be sure to stay tuned to this site and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Page throughout the 2022-2023 season for status updates and breaking news.
Shows That Were Cancelled or That Ended in the 2021-22 Season
4400 (CW, Cancelled after 1 Season): The writing was on the wall for this show after it returned from hiatus in January 2022. It started out in Fall with decent ratings, but saw those trend down and then drop notably after its hiatus. Even in a normal year without the pending sale of the network, this one might have got the axe. It did not receive much in the way of critical recognition and the buzz from viewers was mostly on the negative side, so consider this reboot that nobody really wanted a misfire by The CW.
Another Life (Netflix, Cancelled after 2 Seasons): The cancellation of this show did not come as a big surprise. The buzz for the show had not been good going back to its first season and the second year only spent a couple of weeks in the lower rungs of the Netflix Top 10. It seems like a space-based show starring Katee Sackhoff should have been a sure thing among the sci fi audience, but apparently they just flubbed the execution. The writers seemed to know that the show would not be back for a third year so they did at least wrap up most of the storylines.
Archive 81 (Netflix, Cancelled after One Season): This horror series based on the podcast of the same name managed to draw strong viewership in its first season and received some pretty good buzz. But that was not enough to keep the Netflix Red Queen from pronouncing her “Off With Their Heads!” verdict. It’s hard to gauge what the streamer counts as a successful show, but with this one joining other one-and-done genre entries like Cowboy Bebop, The Irregulars, and Away, viewers can never feel confident that a Netflix original will stick around even if it appears to be performing well.
Astrid and Lilly Save the World (Syfy, Cancelled after One Season): Each year Syfy acquires originals to give the appearance that it is still active in the scripted programming arena, and often these are given little promotion and little chance to succeed. Astrid & Lilly at least had Resident Alien as its lead-in, but the lack of promotion beyond internal ad spots kept this fun little show from finding much of an audience. Its same-day ratings were low and Syfy only makes money on these acquisitions from the advertising that is driven by those numbers. The network has not officially cancelled the show, but failed to include it on its 2022-23 schedule. This one did develop a small fanbase, and it could still shift to another venue, but that will require fans making some noise to help it out.
Batwoman (CW, Cancelled after 3 Seasons): This was never one of the higher-rated Arrow-verse shows and it went through some shakeups with Ruby Rose departing after the first season. But Javicia Leslie did a good job of stepping into the lead role and this show certainly would have returned for a fourth season if not for the pending sale of the network. Is it just a coincidence that shows heavy with LGBT+ representation were cancelled prior to the conservative-leaning Nextar Media Group potentially buying the network? Hard to say, but it would be disappointing if that were the case. Fans of this show should heavily lobby HBO Max to pick it up because that service holds the streaming rights. And perhaps that streamer will revive the Arrow-verse at some point in the future (more on that at this link).
Black Summer (Netflix, Cancelled after 2 Seasons): This sleeper zombie series (that may or may not be linked to Z Nation) has never received much promotion from Netflix. It did quietly receive a second season renewal, though, and that debuted with little fanfare in Summer 2021. There has been no word on the show since then, though, so I am going to assume that this one fell to the Netflix Red Queen’s “Off With There Heads!” verdict even though nothing official was ever announced. Perhaps it could shift to another venue when the Netflix streaming rights expire, but that would likely require a push from the fans.
Blade Runner: Black Lotus (Adult Swim, Ended after 1 Season): This animated Blade Runner spin-off may have been intended as a mini-series even though it had the potential to continue its story. The ratings on Adult Swim were decent if not spectacular, and I never saw any viewership stats from its streaming runs on Crunchyroll or HBO Max. There has been no word on the show since it wrapped up its first season in February, so I am going to count it as ended for now.
The Book of Boba Fett (Disney+, Cancelled after 1 Season): This show premiered at the end of December 2021 and there has been no word on a second season and no mention of it when Disney has teased upcoming and returning Star Wars projects. It does not appear that Boba Fett will return with new episodes, though perhaps some loose ends could be handled in upcoming seasons of The Mandalorian.
Charmed (CW, Cancelled after 4 Seasons): This reboot of the ’90s supernatural drama never counted as a breakout hit for The CW, but it performed well enough especially when it was moved to low-viewership Fridays. One more season would have gotten it to a syndication-friendly count of episodes, so it is certainly odd that it was included in the network’s cancellation spree. As with Batwoman above, it is possible that the LGBT+ representation pushed it to the vulnerable list with conservative-leaning Nextar Media Group potentially buying the network. And that will leave a fan-favorite show truncated at four seasons without the chance to wrap up all of its storylines.
>Keep up with the latest news and updates with Johnny Jay’s Sci Fi TV Week in Review posts
Cowboy Bebop (Netflix, Cancelled after One Season): This live-action adaptation of the classic Anime was yet another big swing from Netflix that did not meet expectations and got the ax in short order. Reviews were mixed, but the series was not considered a disaster and viewership has been good for the show. Netflix execs decided it did not adequately cover the bottom line, though, and this one joins other high profile one-and-done entries from that streamer like Jupiter’s Legacy, The Irregulars, and Away.
Day of the Dead (Syfy, Cancelled after One Season): Like Astrid & Lilly (see above) this is yet another acquisition that Syfy threw onto its schedule with little in the way of promotion. Apparently, they thought that word-of-mouth from fans of the film series would help it find an audience, but that may have had the reverse effect. This show actually received a fair amount of negative buzz from what I saw, and it sank in the ratings while airing by itself on Friday evenings. The series covered a twenty-four-hour period after the start of the zombie-pocalypse, and it looks like that is the only day we will get from this one.
Disenchantment (Netflix, Ended): This animated fantasy from Matt Groening released its fourth part in Spring 2022 and there has been no word on it since. Groening has plans for further seasons, but there are no indications those will go forward on Netflix, especially since that streamer has been in cancelling mode of late. Don’t be surprised if this one has a Futurama-type revival at some point once the rights lapse at Netflix, but I am not expecting any more seasons from that streamer.
The Expanse (Amazon, Ending after 6 Seasons): This show’s sixth season was announced in advance as its last, giving it the chance to wrap up its storylines. It covered the story through the first six books of the novel series, but there are three more that follow from that. Those take place after a time jump, though, so it made some sense to wrap the series up for now with its sixth season. Writers Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck have indicated that they approached the show with a six-season arc in mind and consider it to be on “pause” at the moment. As the legacy of this series grows (already considered to be a top-flight sci fi TV entry), it is possible that it could return at some point to finish out the full story from the books.
Farzar (Netflix, Cancelled): This is another animated series that appears to be done at Netflix. It arrived in Summer 2022 with very little fanfare and never made it into the streamer’s weekly Top 10 list. Nor has there really been much said about it since it premiered. At this point, I am going to consider it another one-and-done casualty of the Peak TV crunch.
Final Space (Adult Swim, Cancelled after 3 Seasons): This animated fan-favorite was apparently quietly cancelled in September 2021. According to series creator Olan Rogers, the multiple mergers WarnerMedia has been going through resulted in this show getting kicked to the curb desptie the fact that it pulled decent ratings for Adult Swim. All three seasons are currently streaming on Netflix, and fans are lobbying for the show to continue to a fourth year, so perhaps it is not done yet.
Firebite (AMC+, Cancelled after One Season): This Australian-made vampire romp is one of the first scripted originals for AMC’s streaming service, and I figured that they would want to keep it going at least into a second season. It certainly can’t be too expensive of a show to produce and new streamers are usually supportive of their originals. But there has been no word on the show’s fate since it wrapped up its eight-episode run in February, and since then AMC+’s sci fi entry Moonhaven received a quick second season renewal. At this point, I am going to consider Firebite done, though it is not impossible that it could return from the grave at some point.
First Kill (Netflix, Cancelled after 1 Season): The first season of this YA vampire drama spent three weeks in the Netflix Top 10 for English language shows rising as high as Number 3 with 49 million hours viewed for the week. And it also logged two weeks on the Nielsen Streaming Top 10 with a high of 467 million minutes viewed for a week. But accroding to Deadline, Netflix as network execs believed it did not have “staying power” and “did not meet thresholds for viewing and completion of episodes” and they put the stake in it after one season.
Hawkeye (Disney+, Mini-Series): This show seemed to be setting up a potential continuation with Clint Barton mentoring Kate Bishop into taking over as Hawkeye, but Disney+ has designated it as a mini-series so there are no plans to carry it on at this time. It is possible that they could pick it up down the road, depending on where it fits into the schedule of MCU productions. But don’t expect new episodes anytime soon.
Hit Monkey (Hulu, Cancelled after One Season): Hulu appears to be the place where former Marvel Television entries go to die, and it sure looks like Hit Monkey will continue that trend. When Marvel Studios absorbed the Marvel TV group, multiple projects were cancelled (Howard the Duck, Tigra & Dazzler, The Offenders), and the few that survived were sent to Hulu. Both the live-action Helstrom and the animated MODOK have since been cancelled. There has been no word on Hit Monkey since it released its first season in November 2021, and almost certainly the silence is a de facto cancellation. It took a year for an official announcement on MODOK, and it might be the same for this one as well. In any case, don’t be expecting a second season at this point.
Into the Dark (Hulu, Ended after 2 Seasons): There has been no word on a third season of this show since the last episode of its second season was released in March 2021, so I am going to count it as ended. This horror-movie-a-month anthology received some good buzz from critics and seemed to be drawing in viewership for the streaming service, but its second season was interrupted by the pandemic-related shutdowns. Perhaps that killed its momentum and the Hulu decided not to keep it going for a third year. Since it is an anthology, though, it’s always possible it could return with new episodes at some point.
Legacies (CW, Cancelled after 4 Seasons): While the linear ratings for this show were down in its fourth season, it makes up slack in digital viewing and one more season would get it to a syndication-friendly count of episodes, so it really made no sense for The CW to cancel it. As mentioned above with Batwoman, you have to wonder if the LGBT+ representation in the show doomed it in the face of the potential sale to the conservative-leaning Nextar Media Group. And it looks unlikely that it could be revived on a different venue because Warner Bros and CBS jointly own it, but Netflix has the streaming rights. For now, consider this one done after four seasons.
Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Cancelled after 7 Seasons): In a normal year, this show certainly would have been renewed for an eighth season because that is how The CW used to roll. But with the pending sale, the Network Executioner was unleashed on the schedule, trimming it down to a bare minimum of shows. And might I mention this is yet another CW show with significant LGBT+ representation that got the axe? There is a chance that HBO Max could pick up the torch for the Arrow-verse, but that will be a few years down the road, and it is definitely not a certainty at this point (more on that at this link). For now, fans at least have a seven-season run of this show that they can rewatch on Netflix while it remains on that service.
Lucifer (Netflix, Ended after 6 Seasons): After Netflix saved this show from cancellation, it proved to be a big hit for the streamer and continued for three more seasons, showing that FOX made the wrong choice by focusing on the same-day ratings. Its sixth season was announced in advance as its last, giving it the chance to wrap up its storylines. But the viewership has been very strong for its Netflix run so don’t be surprised if the streamer considers a spin-off series or perhaps a few additional movies as this appears to be a franchise that could keep itself going for several more years.
Lost in Space (Netflix, Ended after 3 Seasons): This series is following what has become a very typical pattern for Netflix shows (and many of the streaming services, for that matter): it airs for three seasons with the third year announced in advance as its last. Shows typically draw in the most new subscribers during their first and second seasons, and the streamer is ready to move on to the next new show shortly after that. At least this one gets the chance to wrap up its storylines, and perhaps a sequel series could follow at some point.
The Man Who Fell to Earth (Showtime, Cancelled after 1 Season): This sci fi series acts as a sequel to the 1970s cult classic, but it is yet another scripted original that received little in the way of promotion prior to its arrival on the small screen. Why these networks think it is good business to pour millions of dollars into original content and then throw the shows out there to sink or swim is unclear. And it could be bringing us closer to the eventual burst of the Peak TV bubble. The Man Who Fell to Earth at least wrapped up most of its storylines in one season and counts as an underrated sci fi show worth checking out (more on that at this link). But it did have the potential to carry on its story for additional seasons.
MODOK (Hulu, Cancelled after 1 Season): This show was one of the projects that survived after Marvel Television was shut down and all of the TV projects came under the control of Marvel Studios. There were also plans for more animated entries including Howard the Duck, Tigra and Dazzler, Hit Monkey, and a crossover series to be titled The Offenders. Hit Monkey did go forward, but neither that nor MODOK generated the same level of interest or viewership as the Marvel shows on Disney+. Hulu has officially cancelled MODOK at this point, and Hit Monkey could be following it out the door.
Moon Knight (Disney+, Mini-Series): Like Hawkeye, this show got the mini-series designation meaning that a second season is not currently in the cards. The series appears to have served the purpose of introducing the character into the MCU, and word is that he will have an important part in one or more of the upcoming movies. Perhaps a second season could arrive at some point, but don’t expect that anytime soon.
Moonhaven (AMC+, Cancelled after 1 Season): Everything seemed to be looking up for this unique little sci fi series after it received plenty of good buzz in its first season along with a renewal for a second year. But then AMC Networks started going through some behind-the-scenes shakeups (a common theme across the entertainment industry these days) and the renewal was reversed. This was another promising sci fi entry from 2022 (read more about it at this link), and perhaps it will get a chance to continue on a different venue. But for now, it is another one-and-done casualty of the Peak TV crunch.
The Nevers (HBO, Cancelled after 1 Season): The writing was already on the wall for this steampunk series when the cast and crew were released from their contracts during a COVID-driven extended hiatus between the first and second half of the first season. But fans of the show (myself included) were at least hoping to see the final six episodes. With the shakeups at HBO and HBO Max continuing, this one has been yanked from streaming, but hopefully the full twelve-episode run will show up on a different venue at some point in 2023 (more on that at this link).
Night Sky (Amazon, Cancelled after 1 Season): This show received little in the way of promotion but still managed to place in the Nielsen Streaming Top 10 for originals for three weeks in a row (though in the lower rungs). Apparently the show did not draw enough in the way of new subscriptions, and it was rather expensive to produce, so Amazon decided to cancel it after one season.
The Outpost (The CW, Cancelled after 4 Seasons): This fantasy series was acquired by The CW to fill up space on the schedule in the Summer months and it did that pretty well over its first two seasons. Its numbers dropped in its third year (which aired Fall 2020 due to pandemic-related delays), and the numbers slipped. A fourth season was ordered which looked like it could be the show’s last, and The CW did indeed pull the plug after that aired. But it at least had the opportunity to wrap up some of its storylines.
Raised by Wolves (HBO Max, Cancelled after 2 Seasons): HBO Max is going through some shakeups with the merge with Discovery, and since this property is not owned by Warner Bros. it was apparently considered expendable and cancelled by the streamer. It is being shopped around to other venues and fans are stepping up to support it, so there is a chance that it could continue for a third season at some point.
Raising Dion (Netflix, Cancelled after 2 Seasons): This super-hero series with a twist spent several weeks in the Nielsen Streaming top 10 for originals and the Netflix Top 10 during its second season and appeared to be on track for a third season renewal. But the steamer had a slight dip in subscriptions sending it into panic mode and unleashing the Netflix Red Queen with her command of “Off With Their Heads!” Raising Dion and Space Force (see below) were two casualties of that and more will follow.
Resident Evil (Netflix, Cancelled after 1 Season): Yet another victim of the Netflix Red Queen, this show debuted to decent viewership numbers but it did not spend many weeks in either the Netflix or Nielsen Streaming Top 10. The feedback was also mostly negative from critics and viewers and the show apparently did not have enough staying power to justify its cost. The streamer also did an animated Resident Evil series that lasted only one season and it is likely done with that franchise for now.
Roswell New Mexico (CW, Cancelled after 4 Seasons): This was never one of The CW’s higher-rated shows, though it did do well enough in digital viewing (and the network gave plenty of weight to those numbers). Whether it would have continued into a fifth season in a normal year without the pending sale hanging over the network is unclear. The CW tended to wrap up its lower-rated shows around their fourth year, but usually made a final season announcement in advance (which it did not with this one). Fans will have to hope that the creative team had enough advance warning of the cancellation to wrap up as many storylines as possible.
Russian Doll (Netflix, Ended): Yet another Netflix entry, the second season of this time-bending series arrived in Spring 2022 and there has been no word on it since. It has received good marks from critics and some attention at awards time, but the streamer has given no indication that a third season will happen, and I will count that silence as an indication that the show is done.
See (Apple TV+, Endeed after 3 Seasons): This show’s third season was announced in advance as its last, which is the typical trend we have been seeing from the streaming services and at least gives it the chance to wrap up its storylines. Apple TV+ has not locked itself to the three-to-four-season formula just yet, but See is expensive to product and Jason Momoa is busy with movies, so it does make sense this one would end sooner rather than later.
Space Force (Netflix, Cancelled after 2 Seasons): The cancellation of this show did not come as a huge surprise as Netflix had been slow to renew it for a second year and the viewership did not meet up to expectations throughout its run. It was a high-profile series with The Office‘s Greg Daniels and Steve Carell attached, but it was also costly for the streamer (in a large part due to Carell’s salary). In past years, it might have been allowed a third and final season, but as mentioned above Netflix went into slash and burn mode after a slight drop in subscribers and this along with Raising Dion were among the casualties.
Super Crooks (Netflix, Cancelled after 1 Season): This appears to be another Netflix original that has been cut down by the Red Queen without an official cancellation announcement. The streamer has been silent on the status of the show and it did not place in the viewership Top 10 when it was released in November 2021. 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 with no plans for a continuation.
Supergirl (The CW, Ended after 6 Seasons): This show switched from CBS to The CW after its first season and it ended up having a decent run on that new network with its sixth season announced in advance as its last, giving it the chance to wrap up its storylines. But the characters will almost certainly return at some point in other Arrow-verse shows.
SurrealEstate (Syfy, Uncancelled): In a very rare move for Syfy, the network reversed its decision to cancel this show after its first season and added the second year to its 2022-23 schedule. Perhaps this time around they will give it more promotion, and that, along with the good word-of-mouth it has developed, will help build up its viewership.
The Time Traveler’s Wife (HBO, Cancelled after 1 Season): The six-episode first season adapted the story from the novel by Audrey Niffenegger, but apparently there were plans to carry on beyond that. The show received little in the way of promotion, though, and the viewership numbers were not good, so HBO decided not to continue with the series.
Tom Swift (The CW, Cancelled after 1 Season): This is the last of the CW shows to get purged prior the new owners take over the network, and the writing was pretty much on the wall before it began. Its LGBTQ+ representation is not in line with “wholesome” programming plans of Nextstar Media, and the show very much fit into the old CW model which the new owners will be breaking away from. Tom Swift may still make an appearance on Nancy Drew (which is was spun out of), but his solo adventures in this incarnation are over.
Two Sentence Horror Stories (The CW, Cancelled after 3 Seasons): This horror anthology appeared to fall off The CW’s radar last year then suddenly re-appeared on the schedule in January 2022. But with new ownership now headed to the network, and with plans for more “wholesome” programming, this show finds itself in limbo. It was not included in the 2022-23 schedule and may not fit well with the new direction or the network. It is an acquisition, though, so perhaps its could shift to another venue at some point. A push from its fans could certainly help it bounce back for another year.
The Umbrella Academy (Netflix, Ending after 4 Seasons): This comic book adaptation will get the chance to wrap up its storylines with a fourth and final season which has become quite rare for Netflix shows these days. That streamer has typically been cancelling its originals after one or two seasons unless they post chart-topping viewership for multiple weeks. This show has managed to do that throughout its run so it is rewarded with a final season announcement even though it could have possibly gone on longer.
Undone (Prime Video, Ended): The second season of this rotoscope animated series arrived in Spring 2022 and then Amazon was silent on its fate after that. It did resolve most of its storylines, so perhaps it was just intended for a two-season run or Amazon advised the creative team to wrap things up by the end of the second year. The show did still leave open the possibility of further stories, but I am assuming those will not be happening anytime soon. (Read more about the show at this link.)
The Walking Dead World Beyond (AMC, Ended after 2 Seasons): The same-day ratings for this show were not great across its two seasons, but it was planned in advance to have only a two year run. If the numbers had been better, it might have continued beyond that. But it served its purpose in setting up events that will play out in TWD and Fear the Walking, and AMC execs decided to just wrap up this third spin-off as originally planned. Next up is the anthology series Tales of the Walking Dead.
Westworld (HBO, Cancelled after 4 Seasons): The ratings for this sci fi reboot of the ’70s classic film dropped notably in the show’s fourth season, but the general thinking was that the network would at least give it a final season to wrap up its storylines. Those dreaded behind-the-scenes shakeups led to its cancellation and it has also been pulled from streaming on HBO Max. It will allegedly show up on a different venue at some point in the near future, but don’t expect a fifth season to materialize because this show was a super high-dollar production.
Y The Last Man (Hulu, Cancelled after 1 Season): This show had a troubled path leading up to its television debut, going through multiple behind-the-scenes shakeups. Because of that, the contracts for the actors were set to expire before it finished streaming its first season, and FX/Hulu chose not to pick up the options which led to the cancellation. The show never made it into the Nielsen Streaming Top 10 during its run, but allegedly the viewership numbers were not the reason for the cancellation. Showrunner Eliza Clark has indicated that the series will be shopped around to other venues.
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