Prime Video Just Axed Two Series After One Season

Prime Video just pulled the plug on two of Amazon MGM Studios' newest series after only one season. The timing is a little whiplash-y: this comes four days after the streamer handed out a Season 2 renewal to Maggie Q's Bosch spinoff 'Ballard'.

Why the two shows were canceled

Per Deadline, both series actually cracked the Nielsen Top 10 for Streaming Originals at some point. But even with that bump, Amazon ultimately did not see enough total global viewing to justify renewals. Translation: charting is nice, but the worldwide minutes watched did not hit the bar Amazon cares about.

What got axed

• 'Countdown' — Jensen Ackles' crime drama from showrunner Derek Haas (One Chicago, FBI). The cast also included Eric Dane (Grey's Anatomy, Euphoria), Jessica Camacho (The Flash, Watchmen), Violett Beane (Death and Other Details), Elliot Knight (The Boys), and Uli Latukefu (Young Rock). It launched this year, but that was it for Season 2 prospects. On the bright side for Ackles fans: he is back at Prime Video soon in 'The Boys' Season 5 and the spinoff series 'Vought Rising', reprising his scene-stealing Soldier Boy in both.

• 'Butterfly' — A spy thriller led by Daniel Dae Kim and based on Arash Amel's 2015 graphic novel. South Korean stars Kim Tae-hee (Stairway to Heaven, Hi Bye Mama!), Park Hae-soo (Squid Game, Money Heist: Korea), Sung Dong-il (Reply 1988), Lee Il-hwa (Reply 1997), and Kim Ji-hoon (Money Heist: Korea) rounded out the ensemble. It was co-created and executive produced by Ken Woodruff and Steph Cha, with Woodruff serving as showrunner. The series debuted in August and currently holds an 84% Audience Score (the popcorn) on Rotten Tomatoes.

The quick read

Both shows were fresh 2024 launches under the Amazon MGM Studios banner, both hit a notable visibility milestone with Nielsen, and both still got cut because the global totals were not big enough. Meanwhile, 'Ballard' gets to keep going. If you are keeping score at home, that is a pretty clear reminder of what matters most in streamer land: sustained worldwide viewership, not just a good U.S. chart week or two.