We are coming to the end of the year, and as is typical, there have been quite a number of sci fi and fantasy shows cancelled over the past twelve months. So in the spirit of the Scrooge Season, below is a list of ten of the shows that were cut short and that will certainly be missed by many fans. And as you might expect, Netflix wins the Scrooge award this year with four entries on the list (with even more when you look at all the cancelled shows for the year).
Fans who want to help these shows could try making a Call to Action and staging a campaign to bring them more attention. We have seen other shows like The Expanse, Lucifer, and Manifest saved in the past, and it could happen again with one of these.
You can keep up with the status of all the current and upcoming sci fi and fantasy shows by following our Cancellation Watch page and regular posts. And be sure to follow us on social media for breaking news and updates: Twitter | Facebook | Mastodon | Blue Sky.
What are the best sci fi and fantasy shows of the Fall 2024 season? Cast your vote here.
Ten Sci Fi/Fantasy Shows Cancelled in 2024:
Arcane (Netflix, Ending After 2 Seasons): This animated entry linked to the League of Legends universe drew strong viewership and good buzz throughout its two-season run. But it was also one of the most expensive animated shows ever produced, and it did not bring in enough gaming revenue. Netflix announced that Arcane would wrap up after two seasons and the franchise appears to be pivoting to less expensive entries. More shows in this universe are on the way, and it is possible that characters from Arcane could make an appearance at some point in the future. But I am thinking fans would have much preferred the gift of a third season instead.
Chucky (Syfy/USA, Cancelled After 3 Seasons): This show proved a hit at first when it premiered in 2021 in its time-sharing run on Syfy and USA. But its viewership numbers went down each season, dropping to a series low in the second half of its third year which aired in Spring 2024. Creator Don Mancini (who also created the movie franchise) made a pitch to Syfy for a fourth season, but the NBCUniversal cable nets are moving away from higher-cost scripted shows in the post-Peak TV era, as fewer viewers are tuning into the linear cable channels. A fourth and final season would have served this one better, but it looks like Chucky will not be bouncing back for that.
Dead Boy Detectives (Netflix, Cancelled After 1 Season): This supernatural drama spent three weeks in the Netflix Top 10 but that proved not enough to reach the completion rate expected from an original on that service. That stat tracks the number of people who watch the entire season within a set period of time, and Netflix execs have been paying close attention to those numbers over the last few years. Other shows from the streamer that spent a similar amount of time in the Top 10 but also suffered the same fate include Fate: The Winx Saga, The Imperfects, and The Midnight Club. There is a chance that the characters could show up on The Sandman (they are in the same universe), but otherwise this one has become another one-and-done Netflix casualty.
Kaos (Netflix, Cancelled After 1 Season): This odd fantasy series came out of nowhere and, of course, received little in the way of promotion from Netflix. It scored well in viewership and got good marks from critics, but it is an expensive production and the streamer decided not to let it continue for the three-season run its creator hoped for. Kaos was definitely a unique genre entry and deserved a better chance, but fans of the show ended up getting a lump of coal from Netflix.
See all the upcoming sci fi and fantasy TV premieres at this link and keep up with the weekly schedule at this link.
The Lazarus Project (TNT, Cancelled After 2 Seasons): This British import performed well in viewership in its home country and received some attention from the BAFTAs. But Sky elected not to continue it for a third season even though the second year ended on a cliffhanger. There is no word on whether it will be shopped around to other venues, but perhaps Santa will smile on it and find the show a new home.
Outer Range (Prime Video, Cancelled After 2 Seasons): The cancellation of this sci fi western came as somewhat of a surprise seeing as the show performed quite well in viewership over its two seasons and developed some decent buzz. In its first year, Outer Range spent five weeks in the Nielsen Streaming Rankings Top 10, averaging an estimated 345 million minutes viewed per week, very good numbers considering it was an unknown property and received little in the way of advance promotion. In its second season, it spent three weeks in the charts, averaging over 400 minutes per week, which was solid considering the level of competition by that point. It has also received decent marks from critics and viewers, currently holding an 85% Fresh Rating and 74% Audience Score across its two seasons on Rotten Tomatoes. But Amazon decided to be a Grinch and pulled the plug on the show with no explanation.
Quantum Leap (NBC, Cancelled After 2 Seasons): By all appearances, NBC seemed to have soured on this show and decided to cancel it instead of giving it a concluding season as they did with La Brea. Its second season performed well in Fall 2023, but when it returned from hiatus in January they moved it to the Tuesday 10 PM EST timeslot where the ratings plummeted and it was cancelled. Now they have a long-running franchise, going back to the 1989 original series, with two separate entries that end without a resolution. Sure seems like a final season where they bring both Sam and Ben back would have been the better choice and provided a more satisfying resolution for encore runs. But the Scrooges in the network executive offices decided to leave fans hanging once again.
Cult-SciFi.com: Looking Back at Cult Movies, TV Shows, Books, and More from the Worlds of Sci Fi, Fantasy, and Horror
Scavengers Reign (Max/Netflix, Cancelled After 1 Season): This unique animated sci fi entry was actually cancelled twice this year. Max announced in May that they would not be continuing it to a second season, but Netflix picked up the show for an encore run and was considering keeping it going. Instead, they backed away from that, currently leaving this as another one-and-done sci fi TV casualty. The creators have plans for a second season, though, and they have created a teaser to help pitch it to other venues (more on that at this link). So there is still a chance for a Christmas miracle that would bring this one back with more episodes at some point.
Superman & Lois (CW, Cancelled After 4 Seasons): This was one of the highest-rated scripted shows on The CW throughout its run, even out-pacing The Flash at times. But that network came under new ownership, and they decided to go a different direction with scripted programming, focusing on inexpensive acquisitions. Superman & Lois could have moved to Max and continued for several more seasons, but James Gunn and Peter Safran are in the process of rebooting the DC Universe and they did not want a competing Superman series on that platform. So S&L was given only a final, budget-slashed, ten-episode season to wrap up its storylines by the network Grinches, causing it (and the Arrow-verse) to go out with a whimper. More on that at this link.
Star Trek: Lower Decks (Paramount+, Ending After 5 Seasons): The final season for this show was announced in advance, but it does certainly seem like Paramount+ gave up on this fan-favorite Trek entry. It had a good run for a streaming original with five seasons and fifty episodes, and it did have the opportunity to wrap up its storylines. But there are many fans would would have liked to see this one continue for a few more seasons. Jack Quaid–who voices Brad Boimler–made the comment on Instagram: “Hopefully we find a new home”, and it is always possible that we could get the gift of a return the show at some point in the future.
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.
