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 show took the Number 1 slot in the Nielsen Streaming Rankings the week of its premiere, pulling in an estimated 1.4 billion minutes of viewing. It is also still in the Netflix Top 5 after five weeks, so the viewership for the show is quite strong and I would say it has a good chance for renewal at this point.
The Orville (Hulu, Status: In Limbo): There is still no official word on a fourth season of this show, but creator Seth McFarlane seems to be sure that it will happen. In a recent appearance on The Mike Henry Show, he made the following comment: “The Orville was a passion project, I say ‘was’ but I don’t really mean ‘was’ because there will be more”. That does not confirm a renewal, though, and Hulu has remained silent on the status of the show. But if fans continue to make some noise to support the series (it is currently doing well in our poll), perhaps it will be back at some point.
X-Men 97 (Disney+, Status: Renewed): This show did not make it into the Nielsen Streaming Rankings the week of its premiere, but word is that viewership on Disney+ has been strong. It was picked up for two seasons in advance, and a third is already in development (though not officially greenlighted), so I expect it will stick around for a while.
Ark: The Animated Series (Paramount+, Status: Renewal Possible): This series was released with almost no advance announcement, and it did not make it into the Nielsen Streaming Rankings for the week of its premiere. But Paramount+ has been giving it some promotion since then, so perhaps it could stick around into a second season. The second half of the first season will be released later this year.
Skull Island (Netflix, Status: On the Bubble): There has been no word from Netflix on this animated MonsterVerse entry since it premiered in June of 2023, and its chances for a second season are looking grim. Executive producer Brian Duffield made the following statement on Twitter: “Scripts are all done and I hope it sees the light at some point – think we got unlucky with timing and story changes in the bigger ‘Verse”. This one may have fallen victim to schedule shuffling due to the strikes, and fans should make some noise to support the show if they want that second season to happen.
You can see the status of all the shows from the current season at our Cancellation Watch Page.
Cancellation/Renewal Score:
Amazon’s Fallout received a second-season renewal last week, and the announcements for The Witcher, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Star Trek: Lower Decks do not impact the 2023-24 season score. We currently stand at 23 renewed sci fi and fantasy entries (43% of shows tracked) vs. 11 cancelled and ending (21%). 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 | 53 | ||
| Cancelled | 6 | 11.3% | |
| Ending | 5 | 9.4% | 20.8% |
| Renewed | 23 | 43.4% | |
| On the Bubble | 5 | 9.4% | |
| Renewal Possible | 14 | 26.4% | |
| Mini-Series | 6 |
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.
