Why Peacock Canceled Vampire Academy After One Season

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Despite some solid reviews, "Vampire Academy" sadly became one of many series that were canceled after just one season. But why was this fantasy horror series cut short? The show was based on Richelle Mead's six-novel series, which had previously been adapted into a 2014 film of the same name. That film performed poorly at the box office and debuted to horrible reviews, which put a swift end to that iteration of the story. In 2021, however, hope arrived in the form of a TV series. Ultimately, that attempt to adapt the source material was similarly short-lived, but it did at least fare better critically.

In 2021, Deadline reported that Peacock had ordered a "Vampire Academy" series adaptation overseen by former "Vampire Diaries" showrunner Julie Plec and Marguerite MacIntyre, who played Elizabeth Forbes on that same show. At the time, Plec spoke about her longtime desire to make the series, saying, "When I signed my new deal with Universal Television, they asked what project I had always been dying to make and my immediate answer was 'Vampire Academy.'" With Peacock ordering a full ten episodes, it seemed Plec was finally getting her wish. The series premiered on September 15, 2022, and introduced an entirely fresh take on Mead's novels.

Rather than being a straightforward adaptation of any single novel, "Vampire Academy" used settings, events, and characters from the entire book series, alongside re-imagined versions of other characters, to tell a story that was recognizable to fans but had a big element of originality. The show was set in 1997 and starred Sisi Stringer as Rose Hathaway, a guardian-in-training, and Daniela Nieves as Lissa Dragomir, a Moroi princess. The story followed the pair's experiences at St. Vladimir's Academy, a boarding school for vamps steeped in privilege and glamor. Plenty of romance and drama ensued as the two girls from vastly different backgrounds navigated the world of St Vladimir's with only their friendship to get them through.

Sadly, "Vampire Academy" was canceled just four months after it first arrived. Why? Well, there was no mystery here, as the show simply wasn't bringing in the viewership needed.

"Vampire Academy" debuted in September 2022, but in January 2023, it was canceled outright. Deadline reported on the cancellation at the time, announcing the series was canned alongside fellow Peacock show "One Of Us Is Lying." The latter ran for two seasons but "Vampire Academy" was only given one before the streamer pulled the plug. 

According to Deadline, Peacock executives were actually happy with the creative direction of both shows, but the audience simply wasn't there to justify renewals. The outlet also noted that the streamer was "moving into its next phase of development," which essentially meant it was launching new series in the hopes of carving out its own space in the increasingly crowded streaming market. At the time, comedy-drama "The Best Man: The Final Chapters" had performed well for Peacock, which was also gearing up for the launch of Rian Johnson's delightful mystery-of-the-week show "Poker Face" — a show which turned out to be a big hit for the company. As such, shows like "Vampire Academy" and its comparatively small audience seemingly just didn't fit into the vision.

You might have noticed that streaming series seem more vulnerable to cancellation than traditional shows, and while there are several reasons why streaming services keep cancelling shows early, in the case of "Vampire Academy," it seems it simply wasn't getting the viewership it needed to sustain itself.

"Vampire Academy" might have failed to bring in the viewers Peacock was hoping for, but at the time of its cancellation, production company Universal Television was reportedly looking for other ways to keep the series going. This was supposedly propelled, in part, by the fact that the show had done quite well overseas, selling to more than 100 global territories. Alas, "Vampire Academy" has yet to join those canceled shows that were later revived.

In 2023, hopes for a second season on another platform seemed to fade when Julie Plec tweeted that the actors' contracts had "recently expired" and that they were all free to find work elsewhere. The showrunner also said that she and the team had done "everything we could during the time we had" and didn't rule out another season entirely, writing, "You never know what the future could bring."

Plec also responded to fan outcry over the series' cancellation via X (formerly Twitter), praising their "power and passion" and writing, "if we can't resurrect 'VA' then maybe one day 'Bloodlines' can happen." "Bloodlines" is a spin-off of the "Vampire Academy" novels, with author Richelle Mead penning a further six books focused on alchemist Sydney Sage. So far, however, there's been no news on a "Bloodlines" series or a second season of "Vampire Academy."

Meanwhile, the same year that Plec threw cold water on a second season of the latter, fellow showrunner Marguerite MacIntyre posted a video to social media (via Deadline) where she similarly shut down the possibility of season 2. "I don't have good news," she said. "I don't see any avenue forward. I feel like now is the time to say I'm sorry about that, but it wasn't for lack of trying. We went a little silent because there wasn't a lot we could say. We pitched our hearts out, and we tried, and we took it as far as we could."

At least the one and only season of "Vampire Academy" can claim to have garnered a much better critical response than the 2014 film. On Rotten Tomatoes, season 1 of the show earned a 77% critic rating based on 13 reviews, which is a heck of a lot better than the 17% the movie received.