Why Prime Video Canceled On Call

Dick Wolf may be one of the most prolific creators of popular television in history, but his latest series is going to go down as a one-and-done. "On Call," an inventive cop show that premiered earlier this year on Amazon Prime Video, was canceled after just one season. The adventures of Traci Harmon and Alex Diaz are, in all likelihood, over — at least for now.

The series follows a rookie officer named Alex Diaz (Brandon Larracuente) who is paired with a seasoned veteran named Traci Harmon (Troian Bellisario), focusing on the duo as they patrol Long Beach, California. Part of what made the show unique is that it was shot with a mixture of hand-held cameras, bodycam, and dash-cam footage, which gave it a very unique look. In the early going, "On Call" was a hit, topping the Prime Video charts shortly after its debut.

Unfortunately, the ratings apparently weren't good enough or sustained long enough to keep the show alive. According to a report from Deadline, Amazon had approached the producers about a possible two-season renewal. That didn't pan out, though, as the streamer was asked to "reduce the premium" on the series. In essence, they needed to make it cheaper. Despite having "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf on board as an executive producer, that was a non-starter.

The big problem is that streaming isn't always as lucrative as traditional TV. Netflix absolutely won the streaming wars, but many others are still fighting for a bigger share of the marketplace. Prime Video, despite being backed by Amazon, one of the biggest companies in the world, is no exception. The era of "spend your way into streaming no matter what the cost" is largely over. This show became a casualty of an industry-wide tightening of purse strings.

The biggest problem for "On Call" is that, from a financial point of view, there were too many cooks in the kitchen. Universal Television was the main studio involved, with Amazon MGM Studios co-producing in association with Wolf Entertainment, which is set up at NBC Universal. That means whatever money exists has to be split between everyone involved. What's more, actors and producers on streaming shows are generally paid heavier fees up front because residuals are either lower or non-existent compared to traditional TV.

All of this to say, when the renewal was put on the table, it just didn't make sense for anyone involved. Amazon was said to be losing money on the show. It's not unlike why a show such as "Found" was canceled by NBC, in part because it was produced by Warner Bros. Television. If it had been produced in-house, that might have changed things. This sort of thing is happening more and more as the media landscape continues to shift.

The report did note that the producers were granted the opportunity by Amazon to shop the rights to the show elsewhere. However, as of this writing, no home has been found. Because of Wolf's connection, NBC's Peacock makes sense, but the streamer is still struggling to profit. So they may not want to get caught up in a situation where potential profit margins are razor-thin. As more time goes on, it seems increasingly likely that the show will not get a season 2, despite any efforts made by the producers to find a new network and/or streamer. 

It's certainly not unheard of for shows to be saved after being canceled. Hulu saved "The Mindy Project" after it was canceled by Fox. "Supergirl" was rescued by The CW after airing its first season on CBS, which helped build out the Arrowverse for years to come. But again, the streaming landscape has changed, and shows changing hands has happened less frequently in recent years.

The somewhat good news is that "On Call" didn't end on some frustrating cliffhanger, but there was certainly more story to tell. Series co-creator Tim Walsh spoke with TV Insider in January before the cancellation and addressed where things could go in season 2.

"We left some threads. The fentanyl trade that [Lobo Sebastian's] Smokey was involved in, that's still out there hanging out there for us to take. And then just all really the character stuff, quite honestly, that we want to explore more deeply in Season 2. That's really the focal point, is the two leads."

"I felt really grateful coming onto this show because I am playing a woman who is not leading with her looks. She's not dealing with anybody in a romantic way. She's dealing with somebody in a very, very vulnerable and intimate way, but they are partners," Troian Bellisario said to the outlet in that same interview. "I think what I'm very excited to continue to mine with Brandon and with his character of Diaz is, how much more can they be to each other? How much more can they learn from each other and how can they grow?"

Sadly for Bellisario and for fans of the show, it doesn't look like we're going to get the opportunity to see this relationship grow and continue to unfold over a multi-season arc.

You can stream "On Call" on Amazon Prime Video.