2015’s Into the Badlands proved to be a hit for AMC out of the gate, but its viewership dropped notably over its three-season run and it was cancelled without getting a fourth season or a resolution to its storyline.
What Is It?
This post-apocalyptic series is set in a future world where society has collapsed and powerful barons rule over territories with the help of deadly warriors called Clippers. The story follows Sunny, a highly skilled Clipper seeking redemption and freedom, as he forms an uneasy alliance with a mysterious boy named M.K. who harbors a dangerous power. As rebellion brews and secrets about the past come to light, Sunny and his allies must confront ruthless enemies and their own inner demons.
Aired: AMC, 2015-19, 3 Seasons Totaling 32 Episodes
Starring: Daniel Wu, Orla Brady, Sarah Bolger, Aramis Knight, Emily Beecham
Created By: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
Why Was It Cancelled?
When this show premiered in Fall 2015, it proved to be a hit out of the gate, pulling in 6.4 million total viewers based on same-day viewing for its premiere. Of course, it had The Walking Dead as its lead-in for its first three episodes, and when that zombie series went on hiatus, the viewership dropped notably. Still, it performed quite well for a basic cable entry, and AMC renewed it for a second season.
When it returned a little over a year later, the numbers remained strong, but again it had TWD as its lead-in for its first three Season 2 episodes. The viewership slipped by half after TWD wrapped up its seventh season, though Into the Badlands remained mostly steady from that point for the rest of the season. When it returned for its third season, the numbers remained decent while it had Fear the Walking Dead as its lead-in and only slipped a little after that. But then there was a gap of nine months between the first and second half of the third season, and the numbers dropped notably following the mid-season premiere, which got a boost from TWD.
Into the Badlands was an expensive series to produce, and competition for viewers was certainly stiffening up at that high point of the Peak TV crunch. The network had also pulled back on its promotion of the show after its first season, though AMC did regularly try to give it a boost by having one of the TWD shows lead into the start of each season. Ultimately, the network apparently decided that the cost to produce the series was not justified when same-day viewership fell notably below one million per episode during the second half of the third season, and they cancelled the show.
It did get the chance to wrap up some key storylines—such as the final battle between Pilgrim and the alliance. But it left several major plot threads unresolved. Plus, there was the post-credits scene at the end of the last episode that teased a new era of advanced weaponry and technology re-emerging in the Badlands, hinting at a future conflict far beyond what had been explored so far.
Can It Be Revived?
The series last aired in 2019, so it is possible to pick it up with the original cast, though they would have to provide some explanation for the time jump. Daniel Wu has certainly kept busy since the show was cancelled, but he could potentially be enticed back along with some of the other lead actors. An online petition was put up after the cancellation, and it drew over 16K signatures, but it will certainly take more than that to bring the show back.
At this point, fans would need to organize and stage watch parties while also getting it trending on social media. They could also do subscription drives to get people to sign up for Netflix or AMC (where it is currently streaming) to watch the show, which would impact the bottom line and get the attention of network execs. And even if this did not lead to a fourth season, perhaps the show could at least get a final movie to wrap up its storylines. But if this is going to happen, fans need to get active now because the actors are not getting any younger, and interest in the show may be waning. It could be a long shot, but there is a chance that Sunny could kick his way through to more adventures.
Where Can You Watch It?
All three seasons are streaming on Netflix and AMC+. If fans were to do watch parties, it would probably be best to target Netflix to get it in that streamer’s Top 10. The first season of the show is streaming for free (with ads) on The Roku Channel.
Stream Into the Badlands
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