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
3 Body Problem (Netflix, Status: Renewal Possible): This series started off at Number 2 in the Netflix Top 10 with 82 million hours watched across 11 million households. Those are good premiere numbers, especially for a four-day period seeing as the show dropped on a Thursday. But that is notably lower than the premiere for Avatar: The Last Airbender which had 153 million hours watched across 21 million households, also over a four-day period. 3 Body Problem is certainly an expensive show to produce and Netflix has shown a willingness to cancel its high-profile originals if it is not happy with the viewership numbers. But the show is still off to a decent start, and we will have to see how it tracks from here.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix, Status: Renewed): And speaking of Avatar, that one had its debut in the Nielsen Streaming Rankings at the Number 1 slot with an estimated 2.6 million minutes of viewing. It has also spent five weeks in the Netflix Top 5 so far, so it is no surprise that the show has already been renewed.
Ark: The Animated Series (Paramount+, Status: Renewal Possible): This animated entry, based on the Ark: Survival Evolved video game, was released last week with no advance notice. The show was originally supposed to premiere in 2023, but that was delayed and Paramount+ made it available last week with no advance promotion. That suggests that the streamer may have lost faith in the series and this could just be a burn-off run. But its first season was split into two parts so we will see if this one develops an audience by the time the second part drops later this year.
Constellation (Apple TV+, Status: Renewal Possible): This show did not make it into the Nielsen Streaming Rankings for its premiere week, but that is not uncommon for an Apple TV+ original. It has so far garnered decent marks from critics and viewers, currently holding a 71% Fresh Rating and 71% Audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. And this streamer has been supportive of its originals, so it has a chance of returning for a second season.
X-Men 97 (Disney+, Status: Renewed): The early numbers reported by Disney+ show that this series had four million views across its first two episodes over a five day period. That makes it the most-watched full-length animated series premiere on the streamer since the first season of What If…?. The show was renewed through its second season in advance of its premiere and could continue beyond that.
You can see the status of all the shows from the current season at our Cancellation Watch Page.
Cancellation/Renewal Score:
X-Men 97 is now active on Disney+ and I have factored the second season renewal into the numbers for the current year, though I am not counting the recently announced cancellation of The Lazarus Project yet because it is unclear when that one will return. The 2023-24 seasons currently stands at 21 renewed sci fi and fantasy entries (41% of shows tracked) vs. 9 cancelled and ending (18%). 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 | 51 | ||
| Cancelled | 5 | 9.8% | |
| Ending | 4 | 7.8% | 17.6% |
| Renewed | 21 | 41.2% | |
| On the Bubble | 5 | 9.8% | |
| Renewal Possible | 16 | 31.4% | |
| Mini-Series | 5 |
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.
