4 TV shows sadly in danger of cancellation

As a long-time DC Comics enthusiast and someone who has witnessed the ups and downs of their television adaptations over the years, I can’t help but feel a tinge of worry for Kite Man’s spinoff series, “Kite Man: Hell Yeah!”. While I was thrilled to see the character get his own show, the uncertainty surrounding its future is a familiar feeling that has haunted DC fans for far too long.

Over the past year, television has offered an intriguing mix of shows. Some series debuted only to complete a single season before being unexpectedly canceled (such as Dead Boy Detectives). Meanwhile, others have had to announce early terminations because of factors beyond their control, like 911: Lone Star.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but feel excited about how major studios like Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm are expanding their stories to TV. Marvel Studios has given us intriguing miniseries like “Echo” and “Agatha All Along,” along with Marvel Animation’s revival of the beloved “X-Men ’97.” Meanwhile, Lucasfilm is introducing a fresh Star Wars tale through “The Acolyte” (and the upcoming series, “Skeleton Crew”). Unfortunately, it seems that even the expansive Star Wars universe isn’t immune to cancellations, as “The Acolyte” met an untimely end after just one season.

It just goes to show that none of the big franchises are safe from cancellations once in a while, and even that raises more questions about which TV shows are viable in today’s day and age. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the shows which are unfortunately in danger of cancellation in the coming year.

4 TV shows sadly in danger of cancellation

The Sandman

Don’t worry: The Sandman is set to make its comeback for its second season. This was confirmed several months following the debut on the streaming platform in 2022. Yet, there have been some concerning indications suggesting it might not continue beyond that point.

Initially, viewers are becoming increasingly impatient as they wait for fresh episodes from the streamer. You might recall that season 1 debuted in 2022. Despite its clear popularity, the show had a gradual growth in audience, which can be risky for expensive, high-budget productions nowadays. It was indeed highly successful, yet it took the streamer three months to officially renew it for another season.

Additionally, when Netflix introduced the Sandman universe with the spinoff “Dead Boy Detectives,” which was well-received by series enthusiasts, it ended the show after its first season. This incident underscores the shortcomings of the evaluation methods used by the streaming service, as there’s apparently no opportunity for a show to improve or gain popularity over time. The unmerited cancellation has predictably sparked frustration and disappointment among fans, and it also raises concerns about the future of “The Sandman.

To be sure, “The Sandman” wasn’t a book that needed time to gain popularity as it already had a substantial fanbase when it was first released. Over the past three years, its following has undeniably grown even larger. The question remains: if “The Sandman” doesn’t experience a surge in popularity comparable to “Stranger Things,” will Netflix’s assessment method, which seems to favor immediate, massive viewership, potentially disadvantage it?

Additionally, it’s worth noting that the DC perspective should not be overlooked. Although the series is an original production by Netflix, based on DC’s Vertigo Imprint, fans have expressed worry about how the new DC Universe franchise might not acknowledge it as canon. This could potentially result in its termination.

To be frank, it doesn’t seem like a problem for “The Sandman”, but we’re not entirely confident the same applies to the upcoming series…

4 TV shows sadly in danger of cancellation

Harley Quinn

Similar to The Sandman, Harley Quinn will make its comeback soon for its upcoming season. The Max original series was granted a fifth season by WarnerMedia’s streaming platform last year and even aired a Valentine’s Special last year. It is expected to air this November, but fans are worried that this could be the show’s final hurrah.

It turns out that Harley Quinn has managed to stay on the air, which is quite fortunate given that it originally belonged to the Warner Bros./DC team from before. Among DC shows, it’s one of the few that weathered the cancellations in 2022 and 2023, with series like Titans, Doom Patrol, Young Justice being axed during this period. However, Harley Quinn and Superman & Lois were spared from these cuts. The fate of DC’s Stargirl was different as it was decided by its own network, The CW.

It appears that the fourth season of “Superman and Lois” has been announced as its final one, and although initial speculation pointed towards The CW as the reason, it was later clarified that this decision actually originated from DC Studios. This leads to a question: could the same fate befall “Harley Quinn”?

Typically, animated shows don’t intersect with live-action shared universes, but James Gunn and Peter Safran aim to create a unified DC Universe that spans films, TV, animation, video games, and beyond. Their new franchise will kick off with an animated series on Max titled “Creature Commandos,” which could potentially impact the status of shows like “Harley Quinn.

Enduring five seasons full of network shifts, the notorious DC series cancellations, and bringing endless laughter to audiences – quite an impressive journey! However, will there be a sixth season for Harley Quinn? Only time will tell.

4 TV shows sadly in danger of cancellation

Kite Man: Hell Yeah!

“Kite Man’s Exciting Adventures” is a new show spun off from “Harley Quinn,” featuring everyone’s favorite kite enthusiast, Kite Man. The series debuted on Max in July and ran all summer, wrapping up its initial 10 episodes last week. However, there’s some doubt about whether it will continue for a second season.

The series hints at additional tales, yet some aspects are causing a bit of unease among fans. To begin with, although Kite Man has gained popularity, it hasn’t created the same level of excitement as Harley Quinn. This could be due to the uncertainty surrounding other DC properties, as the emergence of a new universe might render them obsolete (a factor that seems to have affected the box office performance of recent films like The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom), which casts doubt on the show’s longevity.

There is also the whole DC Universe situation to consider here too. Kite Man: Hell Yeah! was commissioned by the previous Warner Bros. leadership. Granted, it was allowed to continue production and eventually air, but if it doesn’t prove to be the success that they were hoping for it to be, it would be sadly very easy for them to cancel it. Unfortunately, they are all too familiar with that when it comes to both DC shows and Max offerings.

In the past few months, several shows featuring Max have been axed, including “The Girls on the Bus” and “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.” Let’s keep our fingers crossed that “Kite Man: Hell Yeah!” won’t meet a similar fate. Here’s to hoping it will be a definite no!

4 TV shows sadly in danger of cancellation

The Mandalorian

Disney Plus’ hit series, “The Mandalorian,” finds itself in an unconventional situation. Although it’s been renewed for a fourth season, Lucasfilm decided to transform this fourth season into a film titled “The Mandalorian and Grogu.” However, the fourth season is still being developed. The question now is: When will that fourth season be set?

While die-hard Star Wars enthusiasts eagerly anticipate watching Mando and Grogu on the big screen, their appearance within a TV series can create inconsistencies for the storyline continuity. Even though devoted fans know when to catch the film on its premiere date in the theater, casual viewers or those discovering the show years later may not realize that a movie falls between seasons 3 and 4.

There’s a worry that if The Mandalorian becomes extremely popular, the series might be wrapped up quietly to allow the storyline to continue on the big screen. This would make it easier for Pedro Pascal, who has been quite busy in recent times, as movies are generally more compatible with his schedule compared to eight-episode seasons. Given his current commitments to HBO’s The Last of Us and Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps, two-hour films would likely be more manageable than extended series runs.

There is a lot to think about for sure, but there is no question that The Mandalorian and Grogu complicates things, and it could very well lead to the end of the Disney Plus series and the beginning of a new chapter for Din Djarin and “Baby Yoda”. If that’s the case, we just hope that it gets that final season on Disney Plus that it deserves.

2024-09-25 00:01