The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance brought something revolutionary to Netflix with its first season, but it turns out that the show will not get a second at the streaming giant. As a prequel to Jim Henson's chilling 1982 film, called The Dark Crystal, the show was full of elaborate puppets that couldn't be found anywhere else on the small screen, and it wasn't altogether surprising that Age of Resistance won an Emmy. The cancellation is likely more of a surprise to fans, who still have reasons to hope.
Yes, despite The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance taking the Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Children's Program, the show was cancelled just over a year after its late August 2019 series premiere. The cancellation was confirmed by Jim Henson Company CEO and Age of Resistance executive producer Lisa Henson, who dropped the bad news while also suggesting that the resistance might be able to continue. In a statement to io9, Lisa Henson shared:
We can confirm that there will not be an additional season of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. We know fans are eager to learn how this chapter of The Dark Crystal saga concludes and we’ll look for ways to tell that story in the future. Our company has a legacy of creating rich and complex worlds that require technical innovation, artistic excellence, and masterful storytelling. Our history also includes productions that are enduring, often finding and growing their audience over time and proving again and again that fantasy and science fiction genres reflect eternal messages and truths that are always relevant. We are so grateful to Netflix for trusting us to realize this ambitious series; we are deeply proud of our work on Age of Resistance, and the acclaim it has received from fans, critics and our peers, most recently receiving an Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program.
In her statement confirming the cancellation, Lisa Henson revealed that the team that brought The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance to television will "look for ways to tell that story" moving forward despite the end of the Netflix run. While Age of Resistance is not the first and won't be the last cancelled show with the potential to be shopped around for a new platform and a way to continue, there are reasons to be optimistic when it comes to the Dark Crystal prequel.
The Henson family actually has ties to three other big streaming services on the market. Apple TV+ ordered a reboot of Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock, titled Fraggle Rock: Rock On! Over on Disney+, a new take on Jim Henson's Muppets hit the streamer over the summer, and the Disney streamer launched Earth to Ned from The Jim Henson Company in early September. HBO Max also streams episodes of Sesame Street.
Of course, Lisa Henson didn't actually say in her statement that The Jim Henson Company is searching for a new home for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance as a TV show. After all, The Dark Crystal itself has a novelization, and a number of prequel novels were released before Age of Resistance debuted on Netflix. It's possible the story could simply continue as a book, or some other form of media that wouldn't require another streaming service or a network.
That said, the Age of Resistance team created some incredible puppets and sets for the series, and I for one think it would be a shame if the show was never able to pay off on its cliffhanger with those puppets on screen. The show also pulled together a killer voice cast. Hopefully Age of Resistance finds a way to to continue as a TV show, or even a wrap-up movie.
Only time will tell. For now, you can always watch and rewatch the ten episodes of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, the original 1982 film, and a documentary all about the making of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix is packed with more options that still have yet to premiere this year, and you can find more upcoming series on our 2020 fall TV premiere schedule.
