While many shows have been delayed due to lack of studio cooperation, here are three we’ve sadly lost.
At the time of writing this, it has been 132 days since the WGA strike began, with SAG-AFTRA nearly nipping 60. A lot has happened over that 132 days, including wheel-spinning negotiations, the mayor of LA calling for the immediate resolution of the strikes, and also, no more Jeopardy (temporarily). However, in case you thought unfair cancellations of your favorite shows were off the table during this time? Think again. Here are 3 shows we’ve lost so far.
Metropolis (AppleTV)
If you haven’t heard of this series, that’s because it actually hadn’t even started. Canceled before even beginning its run, Metropolis was a high-budget series based on the 1927 Fritz Lang film of the same name and, ironically, had a plot tackling the concept of a man being replaced by a machine to stop a worker’s protest.
The crew found out roughly the same time as the public but had been aiming for a summer production start prior to the strikes. Unfortunately, though, we won’t be able to enjoy Sam Esmail’s—creator of Mr. Robot—vision of Metropolis any time soon.
The Peripheral (Amazon Prime Video)
Despite having been picked up for a second season in February, the Chloë Grace Moretz-led sci-fi drama was promptly unrenewed on August 18th. Based on a book of the same name by William Gibson, and adapted by the directors of WestWorld, it told the story of a woman in a not-far future who can use VR to see alternate realities.
This came as a shock, seeing as it was the first known case of a renewal reversal in the midst of the strike. Sadly, it would not be the last.
A League of Their Own (Amazon Prime Video)
In what is perhaps the most egregious case of a renewal reversal (and there aren’t many to go off of), the queer period dramedy—based on the 1992 Tom Hanks movie—had originally been renewed for a shortened second season following fan outcry. While the freshmen season had been eight episodes, the second would have only been four. Fans quickly had the rug yanked out from under them though, as the show was canceled for a second time on August 24th and their promised shortened second season revoked.
Abbi Johnson, co-creator and star, said the cancellation decision was “bulls***” and “cowardly”, as the studio claimed it was due to ongoing issues with the strike. If only there was a simple way to solve that.
