Amazon Prime Video Cancels A League Of Their Own And The Peripheral After Previously Renewing Them
While we won't know how the negotiations between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and Writers Guild of America (WGA) turn out until we hear directly from the union, Amazon Studios is now the first to specifically cite the strikes as the justification for canceling, I'm sorry, un-renewing a show. The Chloë Grace Moretz-starring sci-fi series "The Peripheral" was renewed for a second series in February of 2023, but as noted by The Hollywood Reporter, Prime Video has changed its mind.
THR also reports that season 2 had just begun preproduction ahead of WGA members going on strike in May, which has now become a dual strike following the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike in July. The series was created by Scott B. Smith based on William Gibson's novel of the same name, with "Westworld" creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy serving as executive producers as part of their overall deal with Amazon.
Tragically, "The Peripheral" is not the only Prime Video series to be unceremoniously kicked to the streaming curb, as the already-reduced second season renewal of "A League of Their Own" is also no longer happening. The news reported by Variety included sources claiming that the strikes are once again being named as the reason for the un-renewal. Circumstances surrounding the series' shortened final season were already frustrating at best and blatantly homophobic at worst, but let's be extremely transparent here in placing the blame where it belongs:
"The Peripheral" and "A League of Their Own" being un-renewed is the result of the AMPTP's refusal to provide an acceptable deal with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, not the fault of those that are on strike.
Disappointing but not surprising
Both of the news breaks from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety mention Amazon feeling dissatisfied with viewership numbers for both series, but it's fascinating that the queer baseball series and the woman-led sci-fi series (both of which feature Black actors in prominent roles, and the latter of which features a transgender main character, no less) weren't deemed worthy of saving. Meanwhile, a macho spy series with exorbitant production costs that received subpar reviews has no fear of cancelation. I'm not trying to push an agenda or accuse anyone of discrimination, I'm simply making a curious lil' observation and you can do with this information what you will.
It's hard not to be annoyed by this line of decision-making, especially when it feels so obvious that streaming services don't actually know what to do with their original programming. It's as if everyone is trying to chase the immediate high that came from "Stranger Things" or "Squid Game" on Netflix and refusing to give anything a chance to find its footing or audience. But then, when they do invest an excessive amount of dollars into something and it underperforms, they refuse to take the "L" and just pray they can make fetch happen while canceling other projects to help foot the bill. I know I'm screaming from the top of a soapbox in the middle of the internet town square and there are certainly people reading this who think I'm being a weirdo about this, but it gets so exhausting after a while.
One day the powers that be will remember that creative storytelling is the key to success in this industry and stop trying to cosplay as tech bros. But until then, I'll continue to grieve the projects cut before their time as studios figure out what the hell they're doing.