Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Dustin Rowles | TV | October 13, 2023
The mystery comedy Based on a True Story aired on Peacock in June. It was a decent series, but it boasted a Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina and ended on a massive cliffhanger, so I assumed that Peacock would renew it immediately. It took five months, but they finally renewed it this week. Its renewal, however, prompted me to check in on 16 other series that have neither been renewed nor canceled since last airing, at least several months ago.
Echo 3 (Apple TV+) — The series from Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) stars Michiel Huisman, Luke Evans, and Jessica Ann Collins, and it had a solid first few episodes, but waned down the stretch. Episodes dropped nearly a year ago, and there’s been no word on its fate.
Hello Tomorrow! (Apple TV+) — Billy Crudup is so good on The Morning Show that Apple TV+ gave him his own series, a retrofuturistic show about a traveling salesman who sells timeshares on the moon. I like Crudup; the Jetsons vibe was novel, but the show was a dud. The finale aired in April 2023.
Platonic (Apple TV) — Genuinely one of my favorite comedies of 2023, Platonic reteams Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, who are phenomenal together, as well as the only good thing to come out of Bros, Luke Macfarlane. Renewal seems like a no-brainer, but I’m unsure if Seth Rogen/Rose Byrne are dragging their feet or Apple is. It’s been in limbo since July.
Schmigadoon (Apple TV) — There were two seasons of the Apple TV musical series. The second was more critically appreciated, although I suspect the first season was more popular. If Apple brings it back, I’m sure there are more musical genres to tap. It last aired in May 2023.
Party Down (Starz) — The Party Down revival was outstanding, brought in Jennifer Garner, and teased a hell of an excellent possible second season, but no one has said a word about the series since it last aired in March 2023. It’s not like Starz has a lot going for it at the moment (Minx, by the way, is also in limbo, but it hasn’t been off the air that long).
Twisted Metal (Peacock) — It hasn’t been that long since all episodes dropped — July 2023 — but with an IP as big as this video game, a well-known cast that includes Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Will Arnett, and Thomas Haden Church, as well as solid reviews, it is surprising that Peacock hasn’t decided on this one yet.
Shadow and Bone (Netflix) — The Netflix fantasy series came out huge with its first season, and it looked like the series — based on the Leigh Bardugo novel — could run for a few seasons. However, there was less buzz for the second season, and there hasn’t been a word on its fate since it aired in March 2023.
Unstable (Netflix) — Rob Lowe and his son star in this likable but mostly forgettable workplace sitcom. Netflix forgot it, too, because there’s been no word on it since it last aired in March.
Rabbit Hole (Paramount+) — Rabbit Hole was a preposterous conspiracy thriller starring Keifer Sutherland and an increasingly ludicrous plot. It had a following, though, and I’m surprised that the network behind Taylor Sheridan’s work, which last aired in May 2023, hasn’t renewed this one yet.
Fatal Attraction (Paramount+) — I thought Fatal Attraction was only meant to be a limited series. Still, it was set up for another season, and the showrunners teased that possibility. It hasn’t aired since May, and no one has said anything, so it’s increasingly unlikely that it will return.
Swarm (Prime Video) — I feel like everyone was talking about Swarm on the weekend it came out, but no one seemed to be talking about the Dominique Fishback horror-comedy series from Donald Glover a week later. Still, Glover is busy, so this might be a matter of scheduling. The first season dropped in March 2023.
The Consultant (Prime Video) — I think I managed to watch two episodes of this before I quit due to a lack of interest. Amazon seems to share my apathy. Maybe they just forgot to cancel it. The Christoph Waltz series hasn’t aired since February.
Lucky Hank (AMC) — The Bob Odenkirk series based on the Richard Russo novel of the same name wasn’t as good as the book or even as good as I was hoping an adaptation would be. Still, I liked it and would happily watch another season if AMC can get the gang back together for a second season. Lucky Hank last aired in May.
The Bear (Hulu) — Did you know that The Bear hasn’t officially been renewed yet? WHY HASN’T THE BEAR BEEN OFFICIALLY RENEWED YET? The second season last aired in June. It got a lot of Emmy nominations. It has to be one of Hulu’s more popular originals. What are they waiting on?
Unprisoned (Hulu) — I am the person who watched this one! There are dozens of us! It wasn’t great, but I will never complain about the opportunity to spend time with Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo. It last aired in March 2023.
American Born Chinese (Disney+) — This is the only one on this list that I didn’t at least sample, and I feel bad about it. I bought the graphic novel for my kids to prep for, and we put it on our family shows list, but it is long, and we still haven’t gotten to it. It didn’t help that Disney dropped the entire series at once, so it was one of those shows that disappeared into the ether after a few days. It received solid reviews, so I hope Disney picks it up. It last aired in March 2023.
