Find Out Which Shows Got The Green Light And Which Ones Were Axed In The 2023 TV Survival Report
Each year, the world's various TV networks and streaming services will put certain shows on the chopping block while others will get renewed without issue. But while surprise cancellations can happen at the best of times, there's a special wrench in the works this year.
In the wake of strikes by both the Writer's Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the fate of some shows is even more uncertain. And those that will be renewed may look a little different.
RENEWED: The Righteous Gemstones
Televangelists better watch out because Danny McBride's sharp, satirical comedy The Righteous Gemstones is back!
According to TV Guide, the story of hypocritical greed with a powerhouse cast will return for a fourth season. Although HBO hasn't let everything pass by unscathed, it looks like McBride can breathe easy for another year.
CANCELED: Fantastic Friends
Fantastic Friends was a reality TV travelogue that saw James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George from the Harry Potter series) travel the world with former co-stars like Bonnie Wright and Evanna Lynch. Also invited were other celebrity friends of theirs like Maisie Williams and Haley Joel Osment.
However, Metacritic reported that The CW only aired two episodes before they decided this show didn't work and pulled all remaining content from their schedule.
RENEWED: The Walking Dead: Darryl Dixon
According to Rotten Tomatoes, AMC is showing a lot of faith in this spin-off of The Walking Dead that sees Norman Reedus reprise his iconic role, Darryl Dixon.
That's because they saw fit to renew the Dixon-centered series for a second season before fans could even catch the show's September premiere.
CANCELED: Pantheon
Pantheon was an ambitious cyberpunk animated series that followed a teenage girl's tense, emotional adventures after she started receiving messages from her supposedly deceased father. The series was an AMC original, and based on its initial two-season order, its fate seemed pretty secure.
However, Gizmodo reported that the network suddenly canceled the show before this second season could air. And seeing as AMC has no plans to shop it around to other platforms, fans may never see what could have been.
CANCELED: NCIS Los Angeles
Entertainment Weekly reported that after 14 years on the air, NCIS Los Angeles came to an end. With the show remaining highly rated and the overall NCIS empire apparently going strong, the decision to end the show seemed to come organically.
As star LL Cool J wrote in an Instagram post, "After 14 seasons, this is the perfect time to end @ncisla on top of our game!"
RENEWED: Abbott Elementary
Although Abbott Elementary has been renewed for a third season, it's unclear to viewers just when that season will come and how long it will be when it does.
As writer Brittani Nichols explained to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the show is typically written as it airs. That means the third season could be both delayed and appear with a shortened episode list depending on the length of the writer's strike.
RENEWED: Futurama
After being canceled for the second time and moving on from Fox and Comedy Central, Futurama has officially returned on Hulu (Disney+ internationally).
According to Wired, the beloved future-centric animated series spent ten years off the air before the Season 11 premiere. And it's supposed to get at least another ten episodes for Season 12 as well.
CANCELED: Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies
Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies was a prequel to the famous stage musical that followed the Pink Ladies gang as they first formed. The Paramount+ series also incorporated both the original show's musical framework and its humorous emphasis.
However, Entertainment Weekly reported that one of the steps taken in preparation for incorporating Showtime into Paramount+ was to axe the series after its first season and remove it from the platform.
CANCELED: A Black Lady Sketch Show
Despite the fact that the Robin Thede-driven sketch comedy series A Black Lady Sketch Show was nominated for 13 Emmys and won three for editing and directing, NBC News reported that its fourth season will be its last.
In the wake of this decision, a representative from HBO said, "Robin, alongside Hoorae, Jax Media, and the incredible cast and crew, leave an indelible legacy not only in sketch but in television comedy, and we look forward to continued creative collaboration under her deal with us."
RENEWED: The Walking Dead: Dead City
Before Walking Dead fans get the chance to see Norman Reedus return as Darryl Dixon, they're treated to another spin-off series that see Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan form an uneasy alliance as Maggie and Negan.
And it seems viewers should get to see them fight the hordes of undead and each other in the ruins of New York City for a while, as Rotten Tomatoes reported that the series has already been renewed for a second season.
CANCELED: Sky High
Sky High was a Spanish spin-off series of a 2020 crime movie of the same name, but What's On Netflix reported that it only lasted a season before the streaming giant pulled the plug.
Although Netflix hasn't made any official statements regarding the reason for Sky High's fate, the most likely culprit is the show's failure to meet internal metrics.
RENEWED: The Conners
Although embattled Roseanne spin-off The Conners was renewed for a sixth season, Screen Rant reported that it's unknown at this point whether it'll be the show's last.
The outlet also noted the sitcom was renewed for 13 episodes with an option for nine more, which introduced the possibility of a shortened season. In the wake of the writer's strike, that outcome is seeming all the more likely.
CANCELED: Star Trek: Prodigy
Star Trek: Prodigy is a 3D-modelled animated series set around the same time period as Star Trek: Voyager, but it's unsure what kind of life the show will have beyond its debut season.
Because while Metacritic noted that production of the second season was nearing completion, Paramount+ suddenly canceled the series before removing it from the platform. However, Star Trek: Prodigy and its potential second season are being shopped to other networks.
RENEWED: Elite
According to Metacritic, Netflix is keen to give this long-running Spanish teen drama another season because it's been renewed for an eighth season.
And considering that the streaming giant's executives made this decision before Season 7 even premiered, the confidence in this series's continued success seems palpable. Time will tell whether the new seasons measure up to Elite's legacy.
CANCELED: Snowflake Mountain
Snowflake Mountain was a reality centered around a group of young adults whose families have deemed them ill-equipped for the world. In response, the parents have commissioned two ex-military survivalists to toughen them up in the wilderness.
But while that premise may attract an initial glance, it appears Netflix has decided it's not enough to sustain the show, as Metacritic reported that Snowflake Mountain was canceled after one season.
RENEWED: Not Dead Yet
According to Deadline, the comedy that centers around a reluctant obituary writer, played by Gina Rodriguez, is on its way back for a second season.
But while the show may be true to its title for now, Metacritic noted that Season 2 will likely be shortened as a result of the writer's strike.
CANCELED: Sex Education
Although it's no secret that Netflix is known to cancel shows at the drop of a hat, whip-smart British comedy Sex Education is reportedly ending with Season 4 of the creators' own volition.
As creator Laurie Nunn told Netflix, "It just started to feel very clear that the stories were coming to an end; the characters were being left in a place that I felt really good about it. I felt happy for them, and I felt like I've said everything that I want to say with these characters at this time."
CANCELED: The Game
The Game was a revival of a sports dramedy that was originally a joint venture of BET and The CW. But while the original series ran for almost a decade, Variety reported that Paramount+ dropped the revival after two seasons.
Although the streaming platform is in a position to shop The Game around to other networks, no such plans have been announced.
RENEWED: Kitchen Nightmares
Deadline reported that Gordon Ramsay is poised to bring his beloved restaurant improvement show Kitchen Nightmares back to Fox after a decade-long hiatus.
While Ramsay has certainly kept busy on that network in that time, the long-running series' return seemed unlikely until now. Just when the owners of questionable restaurants thought they were safe, he's back.
CANCELED: Welcome To Eden
Spanish sci-fi drama Welcome To Eden was able to last two seasons on Netflix's volatile streaming service, but fans can not expect a third outing to grace the platform.
Although What's On Netflix noted that the first season made it to Nielsen's top ten list and stayed on Netflix's top ten for five weeks, interest dragged enough by Season 2 for the company to give the show the axe.
Renewed: Bupkis
The self-aware comedy Bupkis sees Pete Davidson play himself in a fictionalized version of his life alongside Edie Falco and Joe Pesci. And for NBC's streaming service Peacock, it's apparently a venture worth seeing through.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, that is well-evidenced by the fact that the series has been renewed for a second season.
CANCELED: Perry Mason
According to Deadline, Perry Mason was a prequel to the classic legal series that saw Mason struggle as a private detective before his legendary law career. The drama's first season earned four Emmy nominations, including one for star Matthew Rhys.
Yet, despite the fact that the show's second season is also an awards contender, HBO has decided that a third season will not be forthcoming and canceled Perry Mason.
RENEWED: We're Here
We're Here is a reality show in which experienced drag performers help nascent members of the scene come out of their shells and learn to love who they are.
And according to TV Guide, it's been renewed for a fourth season, this time featuring new judges named Sasha Velour, Priyanka, and Jaida Essence Hall.
CANCELED: High Desert
High Desert was an Apple TV+ comedy that starred Patricia Arquette as a woman who set her checkered lifestyle aside to become a private investigator after her mother's passing.
But as disappointing as the news reportedly was to Arquette, TV Guide confirmed that Apple would not be granting the series a second season.
RENEWED: Back To 15
As the title might suggest, Back To 15 is a Brazilian comedy in which a 30-year-old woman suddenly finds herself traveling back in time to when she was 15 after wishing she could start her life over.
And according to Metacritic, the series is intriguing enough to Netflix viewers that the company has renewed it for a third season.
CANCELED: The Watchful Eye
The Watchful Eye followed a young nanny for a wealthy Manhattan family as she navigated her way through their dark secrets. It aired on Freeform in the United States and Disney+ elsewhere, but it seems that neither platform is interested in pursuing it any further.
Because Metacritic reported that the drama was canceled after its first season.
RENEWED: From
According to Deadline, the horror-tinged sci-fi drama From was renewed for a third season on MGM+, which wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who's been following it.
Because a representative from the network told the outlet that From is the second-most watched show in the platform's history. Only the Forrest Whittaker vehicle Godfather of Harlem has attracted more views.
CANCELED: Reservation Dogs
Reservation Dogs is a critically-acclaimed comedy series following the lives of four Native American teenagers as they navigate life on an Eastern Oklahoma reservation.
That acclaim has given the show its space to grow, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, co-creator Sterlin Harjo made the difficult decision to end the show after its third season. To him, it's the right creative decision that appropriately brings him to his long-envisioned ending for the show.
RENEWED: Nine Perfect Strangers
Nine Perfect Strangers is a thriller that sees nine strangers stuck together at a mysterious wellness resort run by Nicole Kidman's Masha.
And according to Variety, the mystery is still proving entrancing to viewers as Hulu has renewed the show for a second season. And as expected, Kidman is slated to return.
CANCELED: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
Although High School Musical: The Musical: The Series has proven a deeply successful Disney+ spin-off of the original film series, that doesn't mean it can go on forever. So as Deadline reported, creator Tim Federle announced his decision to end the series after the fourth season.
In his words, "After four years at East High, it's time to graduate. This will be our final endgame season."
