Amazon has chosen to cancel The Bondsman after one season which will lead many to ask the question: What is The Bondsman? That is a supernatural drama starring Kevin Bacon that comes from Blumhouse Television. It premiered on April 3rd with very little in the way of promotion and has not generated much buzz on social media. Amazon did so little to get the word out about the show that I did not realize it was streaming until almost two weeks after its premiere. But it still managed to make it into the Nielsen Streaming Rankings for its first week, landing at the Number 9 slot with an estimated 563 million minutes watched. It dropped out the next week, though it has remained in the Prime Video Top 10. It has also scored fairly well with critics, currently holding an 83% Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Amazon has not given a reason for the cancellation, but it is likely related to not achieving viewership thresholds even though the streamer itself is to blame for that.
In an interview with LA Times, showrunner and executive producer Erik Oleson said: “I intentionally wrote Season 1 to have an ending that would make it difficult for Amazon not to give Kevin and me more chances to make more episodes”. That strategy did not work, and there is no word at this point on whether the property will get shopped around. Amazon has an ownership stake since it was produced at their studios, so they may not have an interest in allowing it to switch venues.
It is unclear if this one developed much of a fan following, but if they are out there they should take this opportunity to stump for the show. They can vote for it in our Spring Save My Show Poll, and they can also get it trending on social media to see if they can bring it more attention.
This announcement brings the Cancellation/Renewal Score for the 2024-25 Season to 16 cancelled and ending sci fi and fantasy entries (28% of shows tracked) vs. 28 renewed (47%). You can see the breakdown of the numbers and the full list of shows for the current and prior seasons on our Cancellation Watch Page.
The Bondsman follows Hub Halloran, a grizzled bounty hunter from rural Georgia who is murdered and resurrected by the Devil to capture escaped demons and send them back to Hell. Hub must navigate his new role while confronting personal demons, including a strained relationship with his ex-wife Maryanne and their son Cade. It stars Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Nettles, Beth Grant, Damon Herriman, Maxwell Jenkins and Jolene Purdy.
There are only a few months left in the current season, and I expect more announcements are on the way as the streaming services and networks get their schedules set for next year. Be sure to stay tuned to CancelledSciFi.com and our social media sites for updates and breaking news, and also vote for your favorite shows from the current season in our Spring poll.
Keep up with the status of all the current sci fi and fantasy shows as well as news and updates on new and upcoming shows at CancelledSciFi.com.
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They cancel all the good shows! They leave on all the crap of reality tv – stupid bitches or egotistical asses fighting over crap and they become millionaires.
But good, creative shows that take us on a trip outside our daily lives always get cancelled.
I asked a younger person (I won’t stereotype by label 🤣 but you know) what their favorite sitcom was – they didn’t know what a sitcom was!!!!!
They say #9 after first week – shows like this take a few/ gotta learn the characters and where it’s headed. There’s depth. It’s not reality 101 for morons.
When I saw this advertised it sounded to me like a blatant knockoff of Brimstone.
Definitely has some similarities to that one. Not a complete copy, though, and I have been enjoying it. It lacks a good devil character and now it seems like they won’t get the chance to introduce one.