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
Black Mirror (Netflix, Status: Renewal Possible): This anthology series jumped up to the Number 1 slot in the Netflix Top 10 for the second week of its seventh season, pulling in 65.7 million hours of viewing across 10.6 households. Those are definitely strong numbers for that streamer, and while there has been no word on an eighth season yet, I expect this one to get renewed and stick around for several more years.
Doctor Who (Disney+/BBC, Status: Renewal Possible): The most recent episode of this series pulled in only 1.58 million viewers based on same-day viewing on the BBC, which counts as a series low according to FictionHorizon.com and it is the first time ever it slipped below two million viewers. We have not seen the streaming numbers from Disney+ yet, but the show has been generating some negative buzz from fans over the last few years. Showrunner Russell T. Davis has suggested that there could be a “pause” coming up, but it is unclear how long that would last. Seeing as Doctor Who is a British institution, I would not expect an outright cancellation (and Davis is making plans for future seasons), but don’t be surprised if this one goes through a shakeup.
The Wheel of Time (Prime Video, Status: Renewal Possible): This fantasy entry improved to the Number 7 slot for the second week of its third season, pulling in an estimated 538 million minutes of viewing. I had expected a renewal announcement by this point, but perhaps Amazon is in the process of working out the contract details for the cast and crew. The showrunner hopes for this one to stick around for at least eight seasons, and there is plenty of source material to carry it that far. But I am thinking it is more likely this one will wrap up by its fifth or sixth season.
Severance (Apple TV+, Status: Renewed): This show has now marked ten straight weeks in the Nielsen Streaming Rankings for its second season. It has become the most-watched Apple TV+ original, and not surprisingly it has been renewed for a third season. I would expect it to stick around for a while after that as well.
Cancellation/Renewal Score:
There were no renewal or cancellation announcements this last week so the score remains the same for the 2024-25 season. We are currently at 28 renewed sci fi and fantasy entries (51% of shows tracked) vs. 13 cancelled and ending (24%). Below are this season’s numbers, and you can see the list of shows and keep up with the score for the current and prior seasons throughout the week at our Cancellation Watch Page.
| Show Count | 55 | ||
| Cancelled | 5 | 9.1% | |
| Ending | 8 | 14.5% | 23.6% |
| Renewed | 28 | 50.9% | |
| On the Bubble | 2 | 3.6% | |
| Renewal Possible | 12 | 21.8% | |
| Mini-Series | 4 |
Keep up with the status updates of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Cancellation Watch posts. And be sure to follow us on social media for breaking news and updates: Twitter | Facebook | Mastodon | Blue Sky
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.
