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.
Status Updates
Solar Opposites (Hulu, Completed 1st Season, Renewed): Season 4 of Hulu’s animated comedy made it into the Nielsen streaming rankings the week of its premiere which counts it the first sci fi show of the 2023-24 season to appear in that chart (those rankings are on a one month delay). It just barely scraped the Top 10 at the Number 10 slot with an estimated 309 million minutes viewed, but those are good numbers for a Hulu entry seeing as that streamer does not have many shows making it into the charts. Solar Opposites has generally performed well for Hulu so far and it has already been renewed for a fifth season.
Pantheon (AMC+, Cancelled): This animated AI drama was cancelled by AMC+ and removed from streaming in a cost-cutting move in January 2023 even though it had been renewed and its second season was completed at that point. It was being shopped around and there has been no word on its status, but a trailer for Season 2 has been released on Prime Video’s Australia and New Zealand account. The first season is available to purchase on Prime Video, so it is unclear if that will be the same with the second or if the entire series will become an Amazon original. The release date down under is October 15th, so I will keep an eye out for further updates on the show’s airing status here in the States.
The Swarm (CW, Airing 1st Season, Renewal Possible): This German-made eco-horror series had its debut on The CW last week and pulled a 0.06 rating based on same-day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 370 million total viewers. Those are decent numbers for an acquisition on that network, but its renewal chances are likely not tied heavily to its ratings in the U.S. It is expensive for an international production, but it has performed well in its home country and could continue to a second season.
One Piece (Netflix, Streaming 1st Season, Renewed): This live-action adaptation of the popular Anime remained at Number 1 in the Netflix charts for a third week in a row, but the hours watched dropped by almost half from last week (going from 145.7 million to 75.5 million). It has already been renewed for a second season, though, and those viewership numbers are still good for a Netflix original.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC, Airing 1st Season, Renewed): The ratings for this TWD spin-off dropped in its second week, as it pulled only a 0.09 score in the demo with 564K total viewers. It was renewed for a second season in advance and it seems unlikely that AMC would pull a reversal on a show from its flagship franchise. But if the viewership remains at this level, don’t expect this series to stick around for many seasons.
Cancellation/Renewal Score:
Netflix gave a quick renewal to One Piece last week which brings the Cancellation/Renewal score for the just-started 2023-24 season to five renewed sci fi and fantasy shows (39% of shows tracked) vs. 3 cancelled and ending shows (23%). Below are the 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 | 13 | ||
| Cancelled | 2 | 15.4% | |
| Ending | 1 | 7.7% | 23.1% |
| Renewed | 5 | 38.5% | |
| On the Bubble | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Renewal Possible | 5 | 38.5% | |
| Mini-Series | 1 |
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.
