Status Updates: Updates for the sci fi and fantasy shows currently airing/streaming or those waiting for word on their fates. You can see the status of all the active, returning, and recently cancelled/ended shows from the current season at our Cancellation Watch Page. And for those that are in trouble, fans can visit our Call to Action page for suggestions on how to show their support.
Gotham Knights (CW)
(Airing 1st Season, On the Bubble): I had this new DC Comics-based series pegged as dead on arrival before it premiered due to the change in ownership at The CW, but it has been showing some life early in its run. It is currently one of the best-rated shows on the network, outperforming The Flash in its final season. The new execs at The CW have indicated that they will not be carrying over many shows from the prior regime to the 2023-24 season, and Superman & Lois (currently the network’s top performer) is the odds-on favorite among the genre entries to stick around. But it is possible that Gotham Knights could leap to HBO Max, and fans should start making some noise to support the show to boost its chances for a second season.
Cabinet of Curiosities (Netflix)
(Completed 1st Season, On the Bubble): This horror anthology with Guillermo del Toro’s name attached premiered in October 2022 and there has been no word on it since then. It had the dreaded three-week run in the Netflix Top 10 which typically indicates the completion rate is not up to Netflix’s standards and has led to the cancellation of shows like The Midnight Club, The Imperfects, and Warrior Nun. Since this was an anthology, Netflix may just leave it as a one-off and not even announce a cancellation, but del Toro does have plans for a second season. If Netflix bows out, The show could move to another venue at some point, but that would be at least two years down the road because the streamer likely has the rights to the series locked down.
The Peripheral (Prime Video)
(Renewed for 2nd Season): This show–which comes from Westworld creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan–was renewed for a second season, but apparently that was not a popular decision behind the scenes. It was very expensive to produce with a price tag of $175 million for the eight-episode first season, and it only managed to crack the Nielsen charts for one week. But apparently there were concerns that cancelling it might jeopardize the development deal that Amazon has with the creators. Insiders at the company were critical of the renewal, and that may mean that the six-episode second season will be all the series gets unless viewership increases. Hopefully, the creators will try to wrap up as many storylines as possible in the second year, and fans should definitely do what they can to bring some attention to this show.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Prime Video)
(Renewed for 2nd Season): This LOTR prequel series is another Prime Video entry that failed to meet expectations despite high viewership numbers. According to The Hollywood Reporter only 37% of domestic viewers completed watching the first season and only 45% of international viewers made it all the way through. Those do not count as good completion rates, but it does not mean the show is in trouble. Five seasons are planned, and it is unlikely that Amazon will back out because of the money they have put into this already (over one billion so far including securing the rights). They might trim back the total seasons if the show does not perform better in its second year, but a third-season renewal is already expected at this point. But you have to wonder how long Amazon can keep sinking this amount of money into originals if they are not bringing in enough subscribers.
Little Demon (FXX)
(Completed 1st Season, On the Bubble): There has been no word on a second season of this animated fantasy comedy several months after it completed its first season which is prompting me to move it to Bubble status. This show has some notable names attached to it with Aubrey Plaza, Danny DeVito, and Lucy DeVito onboard as the leads of the voice cast and also as executive producers. The names from the guest star list are pretty impressive as well, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dave Bautista, Mark Ruffalo, Rhea Perlman, Mel Brooks, and more. The show also did pretty well in viewership for an FXX entry. But the fact that no renewal has been announced four months after it wrapped up its first season is concerning. Fans should definitely make some noise on the social networks to help this one’s chances of getting to a second season.
CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the status updates of all the airing, returning, and upcoming sci fi and fantasy shows for the current season 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 you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
