Network Scorecard: Scoring the networks based on their history of airing and supporting sci fi and fantasy television shows.
Network Overview
Amazon’s streaming service got its start in the ’00s with various names including Unbox and Instant Video. By the 2010s they had settled on the Prime Video moniker and by the 2012-13 season they were offering scripted originals on streaming along with acquired shows and movies. Amazon’s first sci fi original was The Man in the High Castle which debuted in 2015 and has since become an acclaimed genre entry. The streamer has not been nearly as prolific with its original output as Netflix, having only put out just over 70 shows so far (not including foreign productions) vs. four times that or more for Netflix. But Prime Video’s output has included several notable entries such as The Boys, The Wheel of Time, and the upcoming Lord of the Rings prequel series, and the streamer continues to prove itself as a contender in scripted programming. Whether the large price tag for its shows (LOTR allegedly cost over $1 billion) will catch up with it at some point remains to be seen.
What Type of Sci Fi Shows Does the Network Air?
Like Netflix and Hulu, Amazon’s genre selections on Prime Video have been quite diverse. It has put out straight science fiction entries like The Man in the High Castle and Tales from the Loop. It has offered superhero shows like The Boys and Invincible. It has ventured into the supernatural/fantasy realm with The Wheel of Time and Carnival Row. It has offered comedies like The Tick and Upload. It saved The Expanse from cancellation after Syfy gave up on that show. And it has had some off-the-wall originals like Undone and Good Omens. So the streamer has been willing to try many different things and has also shown some patience with its shows. For the Scorecard, I am focusing on the Amazon originals that are targeted primarily at the U.S. audience. This includes some co-productions but mostly excludes foreign productions because they may have different deals impacting their fates.
How Quick is the Network to Cancel Sci Fi Shows?
While Amazon does cancel shows–as do any of the television networks–it has typically been patient with its originals. Across all of its programming, the cancellation rate for new shows has been 38% after one season with an additional 10% getting cancelled after two seasons and another 8% ending or getting cancelled after three. Sci fi and fantasy entries make up about a third of the network’s output and they have a slightly lower cancellation rate. Genre shows have been cancelled 35% of the time after one season, 4% after two, and another 4% have been cancelled or ended after three seasons. That is certainly a lower cancellation rate than the Big Four broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC) and also lower than Netflix over the past five years. This might start to go up, though, as the cost of these originals continues to increase in the face of stiff competition. The quick cancellation of Night Sky despite decent reviews and the show placing in the Nielsen Top 10 for several weeks suggests that Amazon may be giving its shows a shorter leash.
Amazon New Scripted Programming 2012-13 Season thru Season
| All Scripted Shows | ||
| Series Count | 72 | |
| Cancelled after 1 Season | 27 | 37.5% |
| Cancelled after 2 Seasons | 7 | 9.7% |
| Cancelled after 3 Seasons | 6 | 8.3% |
| 4 Seasons or More | 7 | 9.7% |
| 5 Seasons or More | 0 | 0.0% |
| Sci Fi/Fantasy | ||
| Series Count | 23 | |
| Cancelled after 1 Season | 8 | 34.8% |
| Cancelled after 2 Seasons | 1 | 4.3% |
| Cancelled after 3 Seasons | 1 | 4.3% |
| 4 Seasons or More | 2 | 8.7% |
| 5 Seasons or More | 0 | 0.0% |
Does the Network Have a Three-to-Four Season Wall?
As the numbers show above, not many shows make it to four seasons on Amazon, which is typical of the streaming services. Their model is built on driving new subscribers to the service, and diminishing returns come into play the longer a show runs. The general viewership trend for all shows is for the audience numbers to drop off each season, and for the streamers there is likely an even steeper decline with new subscriptions linked to a show that has been running for several seasons. Amazon has not gone the same churn route as Netflix, constantly cranking out new shows while discarding others that may have a season or two under their belt. But the expected tenure for its originals typically tops out in the three-to-four season range. Highly acclaimed The Man in the High Castle ended after four years even though its creators had at least five planned (and it definitely could have benefited from a fifth season). The Expanse was picked up by the streamer, but only for an additional three seasons as it ended with its sixth year. The highly-watched superhero entry The Boys will be returning for a fourth season and could continue beyond that (along with spin-offs), but it may prove the exception. The showrunners for Wheel of Time have planned out an eight-season run for that fantasy entry, but that may prove cost-prohibitive for the streamer.
Network Score
Last year, I gave Amazon a score of 3 ½ on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest) and I am keeping that the same for this year. The network has been willing to pick up sci fi and fantasy originals and has been patient with them for the most part. It has cancelled some shows after one season like Night Sky and Truth Seekers and it bowed out of the fantasy entry Britannia after one year (that show has since produced two more seasons in Britain). But for the most part it has typically allowed its genre entries to go for at least two years and has quite a number of active shows currently on its slate plus major franchises like Lord of the Rings and Fallout in the works. Up to this point, Prime Video appears to be a decent landing spot for sci fi and fantasy shows, and they have a better-than-average chance of surviving beyond their first season. Amazon does not add too many new titles each year, but it also does not churn through shows like Netflix. Three or four seasons may be the max that most of its shows go, but that appears to be the current trend across most of the streaming services.
List of Sci Fi/Fantasy Originals
This is a list of the scripted sci fi and fantasy shows that have debuted on Amazon since it began producing original content. The streamer currently has several active shows carrying into the upcoming season (some are still awaiting a renewal announcement) plus more in the works. The list is sorted by number of seasons, and if the show has officially been renewed that is included in the season count.
| Series | Start | Seasons | Cancelled/Ended |
| The Boys | 2018-19 | 4 | N |
| The Man in the High Castle | 2015-16 | 4 | Y |
| The Expanse | 2019-20 | 3 | Y |
| Upload | 2019-20 | 3 | N |
| Carnival Row | 2019-20 | 2 | N |
| Good Omens | 2018-19 | 2 | N |
| Invincible | 2020-21 | 2 | N |
| The Legend of Vox Machina | 2021-22 | 2 | N |
| The Tick | 2016-17 | 2 | Y |
| The Wheel of Time | 2021-22 | 2 | N |
| Them | 2020-21 | 2 | N |
| Undone | 2019-20 | 2 | N |
| Blade of the Immortal | 2019-20 | 1 | Y |
| Britannia | 2017-18 | 1 | Y |
| Night Sky | 2021-22 | 1 | Y |
| Outer Range | 2021-22 | 1 | N |
| Paper Girls | 2021-22 | 1 | N |
| Solos | 2020-21 | 1 | Y |
| Tales from the Loop | 2019-20 | 1 | Y |
| The Boys Presents: Diabolical | 2021-22 | 1 | N |
| The Feed | 2019-20 | 1 | Y |
| Truth Seekers | 2020-21 | 1 | Y |
| Utopia | 2020-21 | 1 | Y |
CancelledSciFi.com: 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 the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
SciFiTVSite.com: Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and keep up with what is airing/streaming each week with our Weekly Listings.
I really enjoyed Night Sky and it was left to die with a huge, intriguing cliffhanger after only 1 season. Thanks, Amazon!