The tar pits will be closing as Deadline has confirmed that NBC’s sci fi series La Brea will be ending with its upcoming third season. There was already wide speculation that the third year would be the show’s last, in part because only six episodes were ordered. It was filmed prior to the strikes and the cast and crew were then released from their contracts reinforcing rumors that the show would be ending. An announcement did not come earlier because the network may have been keeping open the possibility of calling the team back for a fourth year. But that will not be happening and the third season will act as the show’s last.
La Brea started off with decent ratings for a broadcast network drama in its first year and it posted notable gains from delayed and digital viewing. The show only had ten episodes in its first season followed by fourteen in its second year to keep costs down, and it was never designed as a long-running series that would shoot for a syndication-friendly count of episodes that totalled a hundred or more. It instead followed the streaming model of delivering a binge-worthy set of eps and the final season will give it a proper conclusion. The show is currently set to return on January 9th to finish out its run.
With La Brea ending, that brings the score for the 2023-24 season to five cancelled and ending sci fi and fantasy shows (14% of shows tracked) vs. twelve renewed (33%). You can see the breakdown of the numbers and the full list of shows for the current season at our Cancellation Watch Page.
In La Brea, a sinkhole opens up in the middle of Los Angeles which pulls a group of people back in time to a prehistoric era. They must fight for survival while others from the present find a way to save them and also solve the mystery of the time portal. It stars Natalie Zea, Eoin Macken, Chiké Okonkwo, Karina Logue, Zyra Gorecki, and Veronica St. Clair.
We are several months into the 2023-24 season and there are plenty more cancellation and renewal announcements on the way. You can see the status of all this season’s shows at this link. And be sure to follow this site and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for updates and breaking news.
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.
I would like to apologize to everyone for getting this show cancelled.
I liked it and should have know that that would get it cancelled…. My bad 😥
Don’t beat yourself up over it. If you practice the techniques of your countryman Wim Hof you may someday master the ability to hold a state of like and dislike for a show at the same time and therefore not affect its cancellation.