The deluge of Fall TV premieres is approaching, and while this hasn’t traditionally been a time of the year when major TV cancellations are announced, the world of streaming has thrown such rules and expectations out the window. When it comes to series that don’t have any particular release windows to adhere to, no point of the year offers guaranteed safety from being canceled. The first half of September 2022 has proven that in earnest, with three well-received streaming originals getting the axe from their respective services, including Prime Video’s youthful sci-fi adventure Paper Girls.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the cancellations and whether or not any of them could continue.
Paper Girls (Prime Video)
An adaptation of the acclaimed comic book series of the same name, as created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Cliff Chiang, Paper Girls marked Amazon’s latest attempt to give everyone with Prime Video subscriptions some comic-driven adventures, with The Boys serving as one of the platform’s most buzz-worthy hits to date. The first season dropped all at once on July 29, and immediately received a wealth of positive reviews and fan feedback, to the point where it’s sitting at 90% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 88% audience score.
For all the good word-of-mouth, however, it would appear that not quite enough people tuned in to justify another season of time-traveling teens trying to save the world from those who wish to do it harm. The cast of newcomers likely didn’t help to draw potential viewers in from the outset, with Ali Wong as the only bankable star for promotional purposes. As such, the show was canceled less than two months after it premiered, according to Deadline, having not broken into Nielsen’s Top 10 rankings in the weeks since.
There may be hope for the future, however, which is fitting for this kind of show. It’s reported that Legendary TV will be attempting to shop the project around to other streaming services and TV networks in the hopes of bringing more of the comic book’s unique and LGBTQ+-friendly story to life somewhere that isn’t putting more than a billion dollars into a Lord of the Rings series.
Maggie (Hulu)
Created by Justin Adler and Maggie Mull, Maggie has been something of a slice of comfort food for those with Hulu subscriptions, as it expanded upon the narrative set up in Tim Curcio’s short film about a woman with psychic abilities trying to find love. With Rebecca Rittenhouse in the lead role, the show centered on Maggie’s quest to navigate the world of dating after realizing that her soothsaying talents aren’t just relegated to the lives of her family and friends, but also her own romantic future. [Cue the joke about Maggie not psychically seeing its own cancellation coming.]
According to EW, Hulu pulled the plug on Maggie after only its first season, which debuted on the streaming service on July 6. Interestingly enough, the rom-com was first picked up to series by ABC in 2021, with Disney later deciding to make it a Hulu Original. While no news was reported regarding any potential for other platforms to step in and save it, fans can always hope its previous network connection could boost interest.
Rutherford Falls (Peacock)
The one show amongst this group to have survived its first season, Peacock’s Rutherford Falls debuted its eight-episode second outing back on June 16, and received a similar swath of acclaim and support as its first one did. The show starred Ed Helms, Michael Greyeyes and a cast of mostly indiginous actors, and was also highly noteworthy for all of the Native talent working behind the scenes. Having The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine genius Mike Schur as a co-creator didn’t hurt, either.
Despite fans’ and critics’ praise, Rutherford Falls didn’t survive long enough to reach a third season at Peacock, though there’s a chance it could find a new home in the future. According to Deadline, co-creator Sierra Tellar Ornelas confirmed that she and the other producers will be “exploring other platforms” in order to bring more episodes to the masses.
While holding out hopes for one or all of the above to get renewed elsewhere, remember: Paper Girls Season 1 can be streamed in full via Prime Video, Maggie Season 1 is streamable on Hulu, while Rutherford Falls’ two-season run is available with a Peacock subscription.
