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As I wrote last Friday, it’s been about four months since my last “Renewals, Cancellations, Un-Orders and Removals” update, so I had to split this article into two parts. Last Friday, I just took a look at Netflix. Today, I’m covering everyone else (with a few Netflix titles near the end).
As a reminder, this update is as comprehensive a compendium of every streaming show that got renewed or cancelled in the last three months that I can make, using multiple data sources to find every public announcement. But I can’t promise that I found every renewal or cancellation; I have a juicy Prime Video example below of how hard this can be. Also, this is mostly about streaming cancellation and renewal decisions, since other folks cover broadcast TV more comprehensively, but I include broadcast/cable renewals and cancellations at the end.
Though, obviously, the two biggest cancellations occurred in late night, and I haven’t written about them yet. I normally avoid politics, but those cancellations and their implications are too big to avoid. I’ll cover those in my next “Most Important Story” column.
Let’s dive right in!
Popular Shows That Got Renewed
HBO renewed The Gilded Age for another season; it didn’t chart on Nielsen, but it made the top spot on the Samba TV charts for multiple weeks. HBO reported that this show’s audience grew this season by about 20% to 5 million viewers for the finale. Big Little Lies is coming back for a third season, and when I saw this news, I literally said, ‘Wait, what?” It’s been six years since the last season, so this show pre-dates the “Streaming Ratings Era”.
FX/Hulu’s The Bear will be coming back next summer. Though the ratings were a bit down last season, this is one of Hulu’s biggest shows, and it’s no surprise Hulu renewed it. And I like that Hulu has been getting its summertime hit shows (The Bear, Only Murders, Futurama) out annually. In that vein, Hulu also already ordered another season of King of the Hill; the first season back did well enough to merit that renewal.
Paramount+ is bringing back two hit shows: MobLand, which quietly became a big hit for them earlier this year, making Nielsen and Samba TV. Tulsa King got an early fourth season renewal before season three even came out, but its prior season ratings support that call. Showtime also renewed Yellowjackets, their most popular show, and the rare Showtime show to make Nielsen. (But it’s not quite as big as the headlines suggest.)
Prime Video tossed Invincible an early fifth season renewal. That show lasted and lasted on the Nielsen charts this year, so that renewal tracks. Prime Video also renewed We Were Liars, a YA show that made the charts for three weeks. We’re still waiting on word of Prime Video’s Ballard renewal, which lasted four weeks on the charts, but it got a CA tax credit if they do renew the show.
Apple TV+ renewed Stick, which only made Luminate, but did make it for multiple weeks. Finally, Sullivan’s Crossing is coming back to the CW. It had been renewed in Canada, but it topped the Nielsen acquired charts and the Samba TV charts when it headed to Netflix.
Unpopular Shows that Got Renewed
Back in the day, broadcasters would cancel unpopular shows, but in the streaming era, it’s more common for unpopular shows to get renewed, especially for a second season. Honestly, we might as well call this section the “Apple TV+ section”, but let’s start with Prime Video.
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