Why Prime Video Canceled Panic After One Season

Young Adult shows have proved immensely successful for streamers. Prime Video in particular had a huge hit with "The Summer I Turned Pretty," which is ending with season 3, and unsurprisingly has plans to expand that universe to keep the views coming in and the all-important subscriber numbers high. But there have been some less successful YA projects which didn't quite resonate in the same way as Jenny Han's mega-hit series.

"Panic" is one example. The teen drama was created and written by Lauren Oliver and based on her 2014 book of the same name. Oliver is the author of numerous young adult novels including the "Delirium" trilogy and "Before I Fall," which was turned into one of the best time loop movies of all time back in 2017. "Panic" wasn't your traditional teen drama, though. Like the book, the show was set in the small Texas town of Carp, which every summer hosts the titular competition in which 23 graduates compete to win a cash prize of $50,000 and the chance to escape their forgotten town. Unfortunately for the teens who do take part, the competition involves navigating some surprisingly dangerous challenges set by two mysterious judges whose identities remain secret. In order to win the prize and leave Carp behind, the contestants are forced to confront their deepest fears. Oh, and there was the standard teenage love triangle, just in case things started to lean a little too dystopian.

Teen melodrama mixed with actual life-or-death stakes seemed like it had real potential. Unfortunately, "Panic" didn't last beyond one season. Here's why Prime Video canceled "Panic" so soon.

"Panic" got off to an auspicious start back in May 2019, when it was announced that Amazon Studios had ordered the pilot to series as part of studio head Jennifer Salke's push for more Young Adult shows. At the time, Salke had also greenlit another YA drama in the form of "The Wilds." Then, in August of that year, Deadline announced Lauren Oliver's Glasstown Entertainment had signed a first-look deal with Amazon Studios. At that point, you had a company embracing YA projects, a confirmed series pickup, and a signed first-look deal which guaranteed Amazon would get first dibs on anything Glasstown Entertainment was developing. For Oliver, then, it must have seemed as though everything was going perfectly.

"Panic" eventually premiered on May 28, 2021 alongside an Audible novella, "Panic: Ghosts and Legends," written by Oliver herself and starring the cast from the show. Clearly, Prime Video had high hopes for the series, which debuted to okay reviews, managing a solid 67% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. In August 2021, however, less than three months after all 10 episodes of "Panic" became available on Prime Video, the streamer pulled the plug.

Deadline covered the show's cancellation, reporting that it failed to "connect with audiences" the way "The Wilds" — which debuted a year prior to "Panic" — had. "The Wilds" was given a second season before itself being canceled in 2022. According to the outlet, the fact "Panic" told a self-contained story that provided a satisfying conclusion also played into Prime Video's decision not to renew the series for a second season, as it would mean fans weren't left hanging.

Just prior to the cancellation announcement, Lauren Oliver spoke to Entertainment Tonight about a potential second season of "Panic," confirming she had plenty of ideas for how to continue the story. "We definitely have enough material," she said, adding, "There's a whole new class of kids who expect to be able to play the game and they've waited their whole lives to play the game. Who knows whether we'll get a season 2. We really hope so and if so, we're more than fine on material."

Alas, the show wouldn't return, and for Oliver the cancellation seemed to hit hard. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) she revealed the toll season 1 had taken, writing "I gave up a lot to 'Panic'... time, financial stability (yes, 'Panic' made me broke), and health...I was told it would be worth it on S2."

I gave up a lot to panic... time, financial stability (yes, panic made me broke), and health...I was told it would be worth it on S2. I have been struggling with surges of deep anger and regret... but I am truly truly grateful for you, the fans, this community

— Being Lauren Oliver again (@OliverBooks) August 9, 2021

The author went on to praise the "Panic" fandom as "kind, funny, supportive, creative, and full of people who strive, and celebrate, and live through their hearts while building their brains." Meanwhile, 6,584 people signed a petition to renew the show for a second season. Sadly, it didn't lead to a reprieve for the cancelled teen drama.

Aside from the reasons cited by Deadline, "Panic" was also a casualty of an age in which streaming services are able to cancel shows early without worrying about some of the issues faced by broadcast networks. For one thing, these companies don't have to quickly plug gaps in a broadcast schedule after cancelling a show, but streaming platforms are also looking for shows that help retain subscribers and combat so-called "churn," whereby users cancel subscriptions after watching their favorite series. It seems that while fans hoped there would be a "Panic" season 2, then, the show simply didn't meet the requirements in that regard.