Fantasyshows have huge potential, asseries likeGame of ThronesandSupernaturaldemonstrate. However, not every addition to the genre winds up attracting mainstream audiences and blowing up the way those two did. Even fantasy titles that are supposed to be massive can fail, a harsh reality for fans of the category.
In recent years,numerous fantasy titles attached to established and proven IP have flopped, despite plenty of hype leading up to their debuts. Some of these made it beyond a single season, but even then, a full run wasn’t guaranteed. Others should have been bigger deals than they were, as they had the audiences, name recognition, and backing to succeed. Sadly, they still didn’t.
Easily one of themost disappointing fantasy cancellationsin recent years,Shadow and Bonewas supposed to be a huge release for Netflix. The streamer poured a lot into the series, with its budget for each episode reportedly being between $3 million and $5 million (viaComic Book Resources).
Given that everything fromShadow and Bone’s castingto its costumes and effects proved impressive for a new series, it’s not surprising that Netflix dedicated a lot of money to the show. And taking the popularity ofLeigh Bardugo’s bestselling booksinto account, it should have yielded huge results.
To be fair,Shadow and Bonedid get renewed for season 2 — so Netflix’s approach to season 1 seemingly worked. However,Shadow and Bonewas canceledafter its second outing, with viewership numbers allegedly not justifying the costs. It’s a shame, asthis series really did have the potential to become a massive addition to the fantasy genre(especially if itsSix of Crowsspinoff came to fruition).
Widely considered some of the greatest fantasy books of all time,Robert Jordan’sWheel of Timenovels seemed like obvious contenders for a TV adaptation. Sure, the massive scope of the source material meant that changes would be necessary when bringing the series to life on-screen. Even so, the books' reputation ensured any anticipation would be highly anticipated.
This was why Prime Video’sWheel of Timeshow should have been huge. Indeed,many believed it would be one of the series to potentially replaceGame of Thronesin the fantasy landscape. However, despiteThe Wheel of Timeseason 1 allegedly having an $80 budget (viaGQ), it just didn’t live up to all the excitement.
For one,The Wheel of Timestill didn’t look as incredible as viewers had hoped (though its production valuedidimprove as it continued). Thechanges made to Jordan’s booksalso left longtime fans feeling conflicted. After much criticism,Prime Video canceledThe Wheel of Timeafter season 3, arguably just as the show was truly getting good.
Terry Brooks’Shannarabooks are bestsellers and have an established audience, which made adapting them something of a no-brainer. While the novels never reached the acclaim of series likeA Song of Ice and FireandThe Wheel of Time, they were big enough that a TV series based on them should have drawn crowds.
Sadly, even though the show should have been huge, it didn’t do the source material justice.
AndThe Shannara Chroniclespremiering in 2016 should have allowed it to capitalize on the excitement ofGame of Throneswithout having to compete with all the competitors that surfaced after the HBO series. Sadly, even though the show should have been huge, it didn’t do the source material justice. It also aired on MTV, then Spike TV, both questionable choices for a fantasy series.
These things contributed toThe Shannara Chroniclesbeing canceledbefore season 3 could happen. Its established fan base and production value should have prevented its failure, butThe Shannara Chroniclesremains a lesser-known addition to the fantasy TV space.
Supernaturalran for 15 seasonson The CW, and the show’s legacy is still strong today — so much so that many arehoping for aSupernaturalrevivalin the near future. With the massive success ofSupernaturalin mind,The Winchestersshould have had an equally fruitful run. That’s no doubt what The CW had in mind when green-lighting the prequel.
Not only didThe Winchestershave a connection to a well-loved series supporting it, but it also sawSupernaturalstar Jensen Ackles stepping into a producer role. All this should have added up to a massive hit for the network, butThe Winchestersdidn’t resonate with viewersand was canceled accordingly.
With a stacked cast that included the likes of Jeff Goldblum and Janet McTeer,Netflix had to have viewedKaosas a likely hit. However, the lack of marketing for the fantasy series — combined with an oversaturation of the genre — ensured otherwise. Still, even the production value of the show suggested it was expected to be a success. Why else would Netflix pour such resources into it?
AndKaoshad all the makings of a great fantasy series; it certainly could have grown into a huge hit if it had been given the opportunity to continue. Sadly,Kaoswas canceled after just one season, raising questions about why Netflix even bothered with it. Like many other additions to the genre, its costs necessitated a large viewership. That’s somethingKaoswasn’t given much time to accumulate.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistancewas another show with an impressive cast and hefty budget($97.7 million, according toCollider). Netflix clearly believed in its potential, and its connection to Jim Henson’s 1982 film likely inspired confidence in its chances of success as well. Unfortunately, even with all its potential,The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistancemostly flew under the radar upon its 2019 release.
Thisled to Netflix canceling the seriesafter just one season, despite generally positive responses from audiences. (The series maintains an 89% critic score and 94% audience rating onRotten Tomatoes.) While the COVID-19 pandemic and its production issues may have contributed to the show’s disappointing fate, the production costs probably didn’t do it any favors.
Cassandra Clare’sShadowhuntersbooksare incredibly popular, and readers have been hoping for a faithful adaptation since theCity of Bonesmovie failedto deliver in 2013.Freeform’sShadowhuntersshow should have been a huge hit for giving the bestselling books a second chanceat a proper adapation. However, it didn’t do a much better job of bringing the source material to life.
For all intents and purposes, an adaptation of Clare’s books should have been bigger.
Shadowhunters' built-in audience couldn’t overlook the many book-to-screen changes that were made, and that’s not to mention the poor production quality. For all intents and purposes, an adaptation of Clare’s books should have been bigger. However, the wayShadowhuntershandled the story prevented it from appealing to its own fan base, much less newcomers. It was canceled after three seasons.
Legacieswas meant to capitalize on the massive success of bothThe Vampire DiariesandThe Originals,but the follow-up series never reached the heights of either. The spinoff did get four seasons beforeit was canceled by The CW, but none of them were particularly impactful, especially compared to their predecessors.
When viewership began to decline,axingLegaciesmade sense for the network(especially amid the Warner Bros.-Discovery merger). But it did attempt to appeal to longtimeTVDandOriginalsfans with its cameos and connections, which indicated that The CW hoped it would find similar success. Sadly, this wasn’t in the cards for thefantasyshow, despite its dedicated audience.
