2026 has not brought too many cancellations of sci fi and fantasy shows, less than 2025, but Scrooge did make an appearance throughout the year, cutting several genre entries short with the help of the Network Executioner. Once again, Netflix is the leader in cancellations with three on this list, though Amazon is not far behind with two genre entries getting the ax.
Fans who want to help these shows could try making a Call to Action and staging a campaign to bring them more attention. We have seen other shows like The Expanse, Lucifer, and Manifest saved in the past, and it could happen again with one of these.
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Eight Sci Fi/Fantasy Shows Cancelled in 2024:
The Bondsman (Prime Video, Cancelled After 1st Season): This fun supernatural drama starring Kevin Bacon never seemed to have much of a chance, as Amazon did very little to promote it and cancelled it pretty quickly after it premiered. It did manage to make it into the Nielsen Streaming Rankings for one week, which was impressive given the lack of a marketing push, but that apparently was not enough for the streaming service’s executives. There were plans to continue it into a second season, as it ended on a cliffhanger, but that now appears unlikely unless another venue can be convinced to take a flyer on the show. (You can read my review at this link.)
Demascus (Tubi, Cancelled After 1st Season): This odd little sci-fi comedy was actually cancelled by AMC in 2024 before it ever aired. That was during a period when the network was undergoing cost-cutting, and it lost faith in the show without really giving it a chance. Tubi later picked it up, but that appears to have been little more than a burn-off run. This series is actually a gem of a genre entry (you can read my review at this link) and deserved to continue for another season. It doesn’t seem to have garnered much attention yet, but perhaps fans could convince Tubi to keep it going.
Nautilus (AMC, Cancelled After 1st Season): As mentioned above, AMC cancelled Demascus before it aired, with Tubi later picking it up. In a similar situation, Disney+ cancelled Nautilus before it aired, and AMC picked it up for U.S. broadcast (while it streamed on Prime Video in the UK). This series explored the younger years of Jules Verne’s anti-hero Captain Nemo and delivered a grand adventure across its lone season. Cost was apparently the main issue with the initial cancellation, and it failed to deliver strong ratings during its linear run, making a second season unlikely. It also appears this may have been intended as a burn-off run from the start. The show easily could have continued for several years and even moved deeper into Verne’s source material, but it seems to have fallen victim to the cost-cutting mentality of the post-Peak TV era.
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Resident Alien (USA, Cancelled After 4th Season): This beloved sci-fi comedy barely secured a fourth season, which involved a move from Syfy to USA Network along with a reported $500K per-episode budget cut. It was also initially scheduled outside of prime time, making it feel like an afterthought for the network. While ratings improved when the Syfy simulcast was factored in, USA had apparently already decided not to continue the series beyond its fourth year even though fans would have still liked more from this one.
The Sandman (Netflix, Cancelled After 2nd Season): This dark fantasy series based on the DC Comics drew strong viewership in its first season, but due to its high production costs, Netflix thought long and hard about bringing it back. They did eventually greenlight a second season, but then sexual harassment charges were leveled at its creator Neil Gaiman, and it appears that the streamer used that as an excuse to cancel it at that point. There is plenty more source material to cover, and the first two seasons are very well regarded, but it seems unlikely that another venue would pick it up since it is such a costly production.
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft (Netflix, Cancelled After 2nd Season): It certainly seems unlikely that Netflix only planned two seasons for this very franchise-friendly property, but that was all we got from this one. And they hardly promoted it, so it seems like they gave up on the show far too early. Amazon now has the rights to the franchise, and they are working on a live-action series, and it seems unlikely that they would revive this version for additional seasons.
Cult-SciFi.com: Looking Back at Cult Movies, TV Shows, Books, and More from the Worlds of Sci Fi, Fantasy, and Horror
Twilight of the Gods (Netflix, Cancelled After 1st Season): This animated fantasy series was quietly cancelled by Netflix even though Zack Snyder had plans for it to continue for more seasons. It did not make it into the Netflix Top 10 after it premiered, nor did it develop much of a buzz, and it becomes yet another one-and-done original from that streamer.
The Wheel of Time (Prime Video, Cancelled After 3rd Season): The viewership for this fantasy series had slipped by its third season, but not by too much, and it still performed respectfully in the Nielsen Streaming Rankings. It was expensive to produce, though, and Amazon is committed to the even more expensive The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power through its fifth season, so The Wheel of Time apparently became the sacrificial lamb to that streamer’s overspending on its originals. There are still hopes that it will continue at some point (more on that at this link), but considering that it is a costly production, it will be a tough sell.
ALSO READ: The Scrooge List – Ten Sci Fi and Fantasy Shows Cancelled Too Soon in 2024
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