Cancellation Watch: Nautilus Sinks at AMC, The Sandman Hits No. 1 in Netflix Charts, and More

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

Nautilus (AMC, Status: Cancelled): This Captain Nemo prequel series got off to a good start, pulling in a 0.07 rating based on same-day viewing for the 18-49 demographic with 732K total viewers. The latter number improved to 2.6M with Live+3 viewing included, making it the best premiere for a scripted series on AMC in over a year. However, Nautilus has been sinking since then with the overnight ratings dropping each week. The Sunday following its premiere, the show dropped to 0.03 rating in the demo with 477K total viewers based on the same-day numbers, and this past Sunday it slipped again to a 0.02 score with 412K total viewers. I have not seen the Live+3 numbers, and AMC has not shared the streaming viewing, so it may be making up the slack there. But the overnights act as a leading indicator, and it appears that interest in the show has dropped off notably. Nautilus was already cancelled when it arrived at AMC, and this appeared to be nothing more than a burn-off run. However, there is still a slight chance the show could continue which I discuss in more detail at this link.

The Sandman (Netflix, Status: Cancelled): This series improved to the Number 1 slot in the Netflix Top 10 for the second week of its second season, but the total viewership numbers only improved slightly to 31.5 million hours watched across 5.9 million households vs. 28.2 million hours across 5.3 million households for its premiere week. And those are down notably from the show’s first season, so if fans were hoping that Netflix might change its mind on the cancellation, the early viewership numbers suggest otherwise.

Resident Alien (USA, Status: On the Bubble): This series shifted from the 11 PM EST hour on Fridays to 10 PM EST two weeks ago, and initially that resulted in a boost to the ratings. On July 4th, the show improved to a 0.10 rating in the demo with 364K total viewers for its broadcast on USA (the Syfy simulcast numbers were not reported) even though it aired on a holiday night. But those slipped back down this past Friday to a 0.06 score with 333K total viewers. This one remains in Bubble status and fans should definitely make some noise to support it if they want it to come back for a fifth season.  More on that at this link.

The Penguin (HBO, Status: Ended): Variety recently asked HBO Max boss Casey Bloys about the possibility of a second season of The Penguin, and following is his response:

Could another chapter be in the future? Definitely possible. Right now, I think the priority for Matt is the movie. But I know that Lauren is thinking of various ideas that might work alongside the movie. I think it’s possible. I just don’t know at this point.

The first season was designed as an eight-part mini-series, but it performed very well in viewership for the streaming service. Colin Farrell previously indicated that he did not want to return to the role, but I’m sure he could be swayed by the right amount of money. And if the show did come back for a second season, it would likely move to HBO since most of that company’s premium content is shifting to that platform.

You can keep up with the status of all the current sci fi and fantasy shows at our Cancellation Watch Page.

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Cancellation/Renewal Score:

Apple TV+ announced last week that its sci fi comedy Murderbot will be returning for a second year. That brings the score for the 2024-25 season to 29 renewed sci fi and fantasy entries (47% of shows tracked) vs. 17 cancelled and ending (27%). 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.

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.

Cancellation Watch: Status updates and breaking news on renewals and cancellations

Sci Fi TV Highlights: Listings for the upcoming week along with the latest sci fi TV news and trailers.

Sci Fi TV Production Report: News on which sci fi TV shows are moving into production.

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