Cancellations and Renewals: 'Velma,' 'Silo,' 'XO Kitty,' 'American Auto'

There’s good news and bad news in this week’s list of cancellations and renewals, starting with the bad: NBC has canceled American Auto after two seasons. I really liked this show, which had shown consistent improvement through both seasons. Sort of a cross between 30 Rock and Superstore set in the office of an automaker, creator Justin Spitzer had planned, in season three, to finally give Anna Gastayer’s character a much-deserved win. We’ll never get to see it. That means NBC’s tentative fall schedule (depending on the writers’ strike) has only two comedies: Night Court and Extended Family, which boasts Abigal Spencer and Donald Faison as cast members.

Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail’s series Metropolis has also been canceled even before shooting began. Apple TV+ pulled the plug on the series because it couldn’t afford to wait any longer because of mounting costs related to pushing the start date.

Meanwhile, on the renewals side, Max has renewed Velma for a second season, more than five months after its final episode aired. The good news, I suppose, is that Max hasn’t killed animation entirely. The bad news is, Velma is terrible.

What’s not terrible, however, is the compelling, intense, and entertaining Silo, one of my favorite shows of the year. It has been renewed for a second season. It’s been a big hit for the streamer. Maybe not Ted Lasso big, but probably Severance big.

Finally, Netflix has renewed both FUBAR and XO Kitty for second seasons. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s FUBAR was bland but easy-to-watch background noise. I can’t speak to XO Kitty, the To All the Boys spin-off series, but the twins really like it.

What is interesting is that I stumbled upon a foolproof theory at the beginning of the year that had applied to every single renewal of a debut season since Netflix started reporting the top ten shows. Every new series that crossed 100 million hours viewed in its first full week had been renewed; every new series that didn’t cross 100 million hours viewed in its first full week had been canceled.

The streak ended with Noah Centineo’s spy show The Recruit, which fell just short of 100 million views. What’s interesting, however, is that only two new series have crossed the 100 million hour mark this entire year, so far: The Night Agent (which actually crossed 200 million hours viewed in its first full week), and the Bridgerton spin-off, Queen Charlotte. XO Kitty, FUBAR, The Diplomat, and Beef all fell short, and three of those have been renewed (Beef was a limited series).