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
Arcane (Netflix, Status: Renewed): The animated fantasy series Arcane will be ending with its upcoming second season which will arrive in November 2024. According to co-creator Christian Linke, that was the plan all along and this is just the first of “many stories to tell” in the League of Legends universe. The first season of Arcane performed well in viewership when it premiered in November 2021 and perhaps some of the characters could crossover into other entries of the franchise the streamer is creating.
Evil (Paramount+, Status: Cancelled): This supernatural drama improved to Number 2 in the Nielsen Streaming Rankings with an estimated 788 minutes of viewing. Last week I indicated that this viewership was related to its fourth season premiere, but this is actually pre-premiere build-up as Nielsen is a few weeks behind and only has viewership through May 12th so far (the Season 4 premiere was on May 23rd). This is driven also by the encore run of Seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix, but it proves the show is quite popular and perhaps Paramount+ should reconsider its decision to bring this one to an end. Fans should definitely take this as an opportunity to make some noise on the social networks in support of the show.
Doctor Who (Disney+, Status: Renewal Possible): This series did not make it into the Nielsen Streaming Rankings for the week of its premiere on Disney+. That streamer is now partnering with the BBC on the show and the highly anticipated premiere of the current season which brings the arrival of the new Doctor played by Ncuti Gatwa was on May 10th. I will watch how this one tracks in the coming weeks, but if the show does not draw sufficient viewership Disney may lose interest in backing the property.
Sweet Tooth (Netflix, Status: Ending): This post-apocalyptic fantasy series had its third season debut last week and it arrived in the Netflix Top 10 at Number 5 with 34.3 million hours viewed across 5.4 million accounts. It has performed well for the streamer since it first debuted and its third season was announced in advance as its last, giving it a typical run for a streaming original.
You can see the status of all the shows from the current season at our Cancellation Watch Page.
Cancellation/Renewal Score:
The final season announcement for Arcane will impact the 2024-25 season as that show does not return until November. In addition, the final season announcement for The Boys will impact a future season since it already counts as renewed for the current season. So the Cancellation/Renewal Score remains the same at 26 renewed sci fi and fantasy entries (39% of shows tracked) vs. 15 cancelled and ending (23%). 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 | 66 | ||
| Cancelled | 9 | 13.6% | |
| Ending | 6 | 9.1% | 22.7% |
| Renewed | 26 | 39.4% | |
| On the Bubble | 4 | 6.1% | |
| Renewal Possible | 21 | 31.8% | |
| 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.
