Filmed entirely on set in Cape Town, the Ridley Scott-produced and directed sci-fi series “Raised by Wolves” created an enormous stir in South Africa during its first two seasons. A giant blockbuster-style show produced by HBO it had echoes of Game of Thrones in size for local fans and it was doing well with viewers. Industry analytics sites reveal it had more than ten times the demand of the average show and was continuing to poll well. But then, in June of 2022, HBO Max announced they had pulled the plug cancelling the show after just two seasons. Even stranger, the series was subsequently pulled from HBO Max entirely, with promised plans to licence the series (and others) to third-party free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels.
While “Raised by Wolves” has now found a new home at The Roku Channel, alongside HBO Max’s “Westworld” its sudden fall from grace still has some local film industry insiders confused. Why pull such a successful show? What actually happened?
The truth is, “Raised by Wolves” is not the only successful blockbuster that saw the chopping board, and HBO Max was not the only channel to do the chopping. Shows are disappearing from the roster of streaming services worldwide, and it’s not just the unsuccessful ones.
In May of 2023, Disney+ unveiled a strategy to trim its content library, aiming to shed a substantial US$1.5 billion worth of content. The channel then executed the removal of several high-profile titles, including ‘Willow,’ ‘The One and Only Ivan,’ ‘Big Shots,’ and ‘The Mysterious Benedict Society.’ Warner Bros Discovery also joined the fray by expunging numerous shows such as “Gordita Chronicles,” “Run”, and “Love Life” from its platforms. Paramount+ likewise eliminated shows like “The Pink Ladies”, a “Grease” spin-off, and Jordan Peele’s remake of “The Twilight Zone” from its lineup.
At least “Raised by Wolves” got its chance on screen. The live-action TV adaptation of “The Spiderwick Chronicles”, had been fully completed, but was abruptly shelved without ever being seen on any channel anywhere. This is also true of the enormous budget, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” prequel “Nautilus”. HBO Max cancelled “Minx” just as it was wrapping up production. Among others, AMC cancelled the animated drama “Pantheon” and the legal drama “61st Street”, and also halted production of the adaptation of Adrienne Celt’s “Invitation to a Bonfire” midway through its production cycle. In a particularly dramatic turn of events, the US sitcom “Chad” was pulled from the airwaves just hours before it was scheduled to premiere on the US network TBS.
The reason given in each case was taxes. Quite simply, the reduction in content means a lower valuation for channels, which then, in turn, have a reduced tax liability.
These decisions to axe even big shows have viewers on edge. This is not what they bought in for. In the mind of the consumer, these channels are supposed to be places where one can watch the best shows anytime they like, but with shows disappearing at an alarming rate, and promised shows failing to arrive, subscription services have never felt more uncertain.
Amid the growing impression that television is facing a crisis, the ongoing strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) are taking a toll on several TV productions. Strike-induced disruptions have led to the indefinite postponement of multiple shows, including season two of “1923,” season six of “The Chi,” as well as “Night Court,” “Emily in Paris,” “Severance,” “Silo,” and “Stranger Things.”
During the last writer’s strike in 2008, similar delays ultimately spelt doom for shows such as “Bionic Woman,” “The 4400,” “Heroes” and “Cavemen.” Therefore, it’s not entirely unreasonable to anticipate that some of this year’s affected productions may also fail to make a return to the small screen.
Perhaps, the writer’s strike will ironically save some of the axed shows when streaming platforms need content to fill the strike-induced shortfall? It’s a lifeline the producers will be hoping for, but whether it’s likely, is anyone’s guess.
