It’s been a brutal week for fans of two TV shows across Netflix and Prime Video.
Netflix cancelled Sweet Magnolias, ending the show’s five-season run, while Prime Video hit its newest action-drama Ride or Die with an abrupt and unexpected end.
Sweet Magnolias series creator and showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson paid tribute to the show on Instagram, writing: “Living in Serenity for five seasons has been a privilege and a blessing. The people I’ve met and worked with — our incredible writers, cast, crew, executives, and producers — have touched my heart and changed my life. And our fans have been amazing in their passion for our characters. Thank you all. Though our journey has sadly come to an end, I hope Serenity will always have a place in your heart. Keep pouring it out!”
The series, a feel-good romantic drama set in a small Southern town called Serenity, based on the book series by Sherryl Woods, followed three best friends—Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Dana Sue (Brooke Elliot) and Helen (Heather Headley), as they navigated romance, family dynamics, careers, personal goals and dreams, and more with grace. It was a comfy, small-town series that felt like home more and more with each passing season, which is what makes the cancellation sting so much.
There’s not enough pouring it out to make it make sense, though; the dip in traffic each season is likely the reason behind Netflix’s decision, as viewership dropped 30% in the last season, per Deadline. It marked a much more severe drop-off than the one seen in Seasons 3 and 4, with only a 13% dip, as many fans complained there wasn’t enough advertising to make fans aware there even was a new season available in the first place.
Meanwhile, Prime Video pulled the plug on the Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham thriller after just one season, shocking fans, especially as the series had plenty of potential.
Both shows, though quite different in nature and premise, featured strong female leads and underscored the power of friendship.
Ride or Die’s lack of season 2 renewal was a big shock, particularly because it was so well received, as Deadline reports it immediately shot to No. 1 in the US and logged 927 views in just 2 days of its release.
Spencer, who played Debbie Claybourne, the best friend to Waddingham’s Judith Barton, who was a secret international assasin, took to Instagram, writing, in part, “Projects like this shouldn’t be the exception, they should be the rule! For all the women out there who felt seen, laughed out loud, lived out loud with Debbie and Judith, thank you. This was a fun one! Thank you Tessa Coates! Massive thank you to you, Jen Salke! You’ve always had exquisite taste!”
Parent Trap and Abbott Elementary actress Lisa Ann Walter commented what we’re all thinking, “They’re insane. Biggest hit prime has had in a minute,” while Ruby Rose added, “This is in the top 10 CRAZIEST cancellations of all time. This PROVES WE ARE NOT ON A REAL TIMELINE!”
And this, of course, follows the cancellation of Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly’s western rom-com Ransom Canyon after its second season, proving that absolutely nothing and no one is safe.
With so many shows across a plethora of streaming platforms—maybe we’ve just spread viewership too thin? I can’t be the only one who is fed up with paying $10+ for every single service, forced to pick and choose who I support and what I watch. But in the case of Ride or Die, even promising numbers didn’t sway the powers that be. With everything growing more expensive with each passing day in this economy, maybe this is a sign of the times? Will more shows that fans love and pour their heart and soul into suffer the same fate? Should we stop getting invested altogether?