Cancellation Watch: Status updates for the sci fi and fantasy shows on the broadcast networks, cable channels, and streaming services as well as breaking news on the currently airing, returning, and upcoming genre entries.
Changes to the Weekly Cancellation Watch Posts
As I mentioned previously, the weekly Cancellation Watch posts will be going through some changes and will be less focused on the ratings results and viewership numbers. The fact is that the numbers Nielsen reports for the linear channels continue to shrink and and do not tell the full picture anymore. Since many of these networks have their own streaming platforms or partner with other services, the digital viewership factors into a show’s fate as well, but that data is not readily available. And the rankings for streaming originals will show Netflix entries topping the charts only to end up getting sent to the Network Executioner a short time later. The executives at the networks and streaming services have much more data to look at than what is made available publicly, so focusing on only a few scraps of information does not provide much to determine whether a show will be cancelled or renewed.
We have known for a while that the Nielsen ratings would eventually become irrelevant because that company has not done a good job of keeping up with the times. But sadly, we are not getting enough data to replace those numbers, so it leaves us in the dark. I will continue to do status updates in these columns and will mentioned numbers that are relevant. But I will not be publishing the full ratings results and streaming rankings each week going forward. You can track the linear ratings over at Spoiler TV and the Nielsen Streaming Rankings are at this link while the Netflix Top 10 is available here. I will continue to track a summary of the season-to-date ratings at this link and will be adding a similar summary for the streaming shows shortly. Let us know your thoughts on the changes along with anything else you would like to see in this column going forward. And the weekly post will be coming out on Wednesdays now to allow me to capture any relevant numbers from the past week.
Status Updates
The Witcher (Netflix, Streaming 3rd Season, Renewed): This show has been getting some negative feedback in its third season and the viewership numbers are not as strong as prior seasons, but it is still performing well for Netflix. It jumped back up to Number 1 in the Netflix Top 10 with the release of the second half of the third season, and the first half premiered at Number 1 in the Nielsen Charts (which are on a month delay) with an estimated 1.3 billion minutes of viewing. This show has already been renewed through it fifth season and I don’t see Netflix wavering on that at this point.
Disenchantment (Netflix, Returning for 5th Season, Ending): Part 4 of this series last streamed over a year ago and there had been no word on its fate, so I had assumed it had ended. But now the streamer has released a trailer for Part 5 and officially announced that the show is ending. Five seasons and fifty episodes is a pretty good run for a streaming original these days, especially on Netflix, and this show will get the chance to wrap up its storylines. The 5th season premieres on September 1st.
Black Mirror (Netflix, Completed 6th Season, Renewal Possible): This show had a four-week run in the Netflix Top 10 for its sixth season and has spent three weeks in the Nielson charts so far, two at Number 1 and over one billion minutes of viewing each week. Since this is an anthology that viewers can pick up on at any point–which makes each season its own event–Netflix could keep it going for a while. A seventh season would be contingent on the schedules for creators Annabel Jones and Charlie Brooker, but I expect the show will be back at some point.
She-Hulk (Disney+, Completed 1st Season, Ended): The viewership numbers for this series were decent in its first season, but maybe not quite up to expectations. There has been no word on a second season nearly a year after it premiered, so the assumption is that Disney is playing the “limited series” card and the show is ended for now. The character will likely return in some of the upcoming MCU entries, and perhaps at some point a second season of the show could happen as well.
Cabinet of Curiosities (Netflix, Completed 1st Season, Ended): Despite spending three weeks in the Netflix Top 10, with two of those in the Top 5, it does not appear that the streamer will be continuing this horror anthology to a second season. It did not receive an official cancellation announcement, but apparently the Netflix is considering it a “limited run” series with no plans for more episodes. It could potentially move to another venue at some point, but the streamer likely holds the rights to the property for at least two years.
You can see the status of all of the sci fi and fantasy shows from the current season at our Cancellation Watch Page.
Cancellation/Renewal Score:
With She-Hulk and Cabinet of Curiosities getting moved to the ending column, that brings the Cancellation/Renewal Score for the current season to 40 cancelled and ending sci fi and fantasy shows (44% of shows tracked) vs. 39 renewed (43%). Note that the fifth season renewal for Disenchantment counts back to the 2021-22 season and it will show up in the ending column for the newly started 2023-24 season. Below are this season’s numbers, and you can see the list of shows and keep up with the score throughout the week at our Cancellation Watch Page.
| Show Count | 90 | ||
| Cancelled | 20 | 22.2% | |
| Ending | 20 | 22.2% | 44.4% |
| Renewed | 39 | 43.3% | |
| Mini-Series | 3 | 3.3% | |
| On the Bubble | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Renewal Possible | 8 | 8.9% |
Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV
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.
