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
What We Do In the Shadows (FX, Completed 5th Season, Renewed): FX has announced that this supernatural dramedy will be ending with its upcoming sixth season. The show had been pulling decent viewership for a basic cable entry, though its numbers have dropped off over the last couple of years. After its fourth season, it was renewed through a sixth year, but its fifth season ratings were its lowest so far. I previously predicted that this one could end with its sixth year, but it will at least get the chance to go out on its own terms. A premiere date has not been announced yet, but I expect it will arrive by mid-2024.
Invincible (Prime Video, Completed 2nd Season, Renewed): This animated superhero drama made it into the Nielsen Streaming Rankings the week after its second season premiere. It was right at the edge of the chart at the Number 10 slot and it pulled in an estimated 245 million minutes of viewing. This one has already been renewed for a third season and creator Robert Kirkman has plans for it to stick around for a seven-to-eight year run. Whether Amazon will keep it going that long remains to be seen.
Carol and the End of the World (Netflix, Streaming 1st Season, Mini-Series): This animated adult drama did not make it into the Netflix Top 10 for the week of its premiere. It did not receive much promotion, nor is it a well-known property (it is an original series from Rick & Morty‘s Dan Guterman), so perhaps it is not surprising that it did not draw a large premiere audience. According to its creator, the show is designed to tell a full story across its ten episodes, so it seems unlikely that a second season will follow.
You can see the status of all the shows from the current season at our Cancellation Watch Page.
Cancellation/Renewal Score:
MGM+ has officially confirmed that Beacon 23 will return for a second season on that network, but I had already flagged that one as renewed. Therefore the Cancellation/Renewal Score for the 2023-24 season remains the same at twelve renewed sci fi and fantasy shows (33% of shows tracked) vs 5 cancelled and ending (14%). 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 | 36 | ||
| Cancelled | 2 | 5.6% | |
| Ending | 3 | 8.3% | 13.9% |
| Renewed | 12 | 33.3% | |
| On the Bubble | 2 | 5.6% | |
| Renewal Possible | 17 | 47.2% | |
| Mini-Series | 2 |
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.
