Renewals and Cancellations: 'Nobody Wants This,' Reacher,' 'Velma,' and 'Kaos'

It’s been a big week for renewals and cancellations. People have been upset because Netflix canceled Jeff Goldblum’s Kaos after just one season. I thought its reception was pretty underwhelming, and it never ranked higher than number three on Netflix’s top 10 series, so I’m not hugely surprised by the cancelation.

That’s not true of Netflix’s hot rabbi show, Nobody Wants This, which is the top show on Netflix this week. The streamer has rewarded it with a second-season renewal. When I saw the trailer, I thought the premise was movie-length at best, yet here I am cheering for a second season. It’s a terrific show, and I’m glad Adam Brody — who has never stopped working — is finally finding the kind of success that has eluded him since The O.C.

Speaking of Netflix, the streamer has also done something fairly rare by renewing Keri Russell’s The Diplomat for a third season, even before the release of its second season on October 31st. I thought the first season was a lot of fun, even if the politics of it didn’t make a lot of sense.

In similar news, Prime Video has renewed Reacher for a fourth season, even though the third season won’t air until next year. The streamer is confident in its continued success, and they have no reason not to be. It’s also a fun show, and they’ve found the perfect Jack Reacher in Alan Ritchson.

On the other side of things, there have been a couple of cancellations as well. Max has officially axed Velma after two seasons. The hate-watchers were enough to get it renewed once, but even they were too indifferent to watch the second season.

Meanwhile, Starz has canceled Samantha Morton’s The Serpent Queen after two seasons. The series was about Catherine de Medici. On the upside, Starz is developing a spin-off with the same creative team, focusing on Elizabeth I, whom Minnie Driver portrayed in The Serpent Queen and is expected to reprise. This decision is puzzling, especially since Starz canceled another series about Elizabeth I, Becoming Elizabeth, just two years ago.

Finally, Netflix is continuing its relationship with John Mulaney, who recently hosted a week of late-night shows with Everybody’s in LA. Netflix announced that next year, Mulaney will host a weekly talk show as the streamer tries to find success in the weekly talk show space, which has so far eluded them with Hasan Minhaj’s Patriot Act and The Break with Michelle Wolf. If anyone can do it, it’s Mulaney.