One Of The Best Crime Series On Streaming Was Just Canceled
The AppleTV+ crime drama, City on Fire, has been canceled after just one season. The news comes almost two months after its first eight-episode outing was released on the streaming platform. According to Deadline, the decision is not unexpected as the series did not generate as much attention as other Apple shows such as Silo and Hijack.
Following an unsuccessful eight-episode run, AppleTV+ has decided to cancel City on Fire after one season.
Created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, City on Fire is based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Garth Risk Hallberg. The story follows a suburban teenager named Charlie (Wyatt Oleff). When his friend Samantha (Chase Sui Wonders) is tragically murdered in Central Park on July 4, 2003, Charlie becomes determined to unravel the mystery behind her death.
As the investigation into Samantha’s murder unfolds, it becomes evident that she plays a crucial role in connecting several perplexing citywide fires, the vibrant downtown music scene, and a wealthy uptown real estate family burdened by their hidden secrets. City on Fire, now canceled, was produced by Apple Studios for AppleTV+.
City on Fire received mostly negative reviews, which likely contributed to the AppleTV+ series being canceled.
Schwartz and Savage wrote all eight episodes and held executive producer roles through their company, Fake Empire. Additionally, Jesse Peretz directed four episodes and served as an executive producer, while Lis Rowinski from Fake Empire acted as co-executive producer. Following its release, City on Fire received mostly negative reviews, which likely contributed to the AppleTV+ series being canceled.
The series currently holds a critics score of 39 percent on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s general consensus describes City on Fire as thinly spread across generic characters in an unconvincing setting. The plot was also likened to getting doused with a cold bucket of water. By comparison, the audience score is holding strong at 78 percent.
Perhaps City on Fire wouldn’t have been canceled if it had stuck to the setting in the novel.
Along with its lead stars, Wyatt Oleff and Chase Sui Wonders, the series also features Jemima Kirke, Nico Tortorella, Ashley Zukerman, Xavier Clyde, Max Milner, Alexandra Doke, Omid Abtahi, Kathleen Munroe, and John Cameron Mitchell. Fortunately, City of Fire being canceled won’t leave its characters with any loose ends, as season one covered the narrative arc from the original book.
Perhaps City on Fire wouldn’t have been canceled if it had stuck to the setting in the novel. The book is set in New York City but revolves around a shooting incident on New Year’s Eve in 1976. A young girl named Samantha is shot in Central Park, and her life hangs in the balance. The incident sets off a chain of events that brings together an array of characters with their own secrets and struggles.
City on Fire, the book, not the canceled series, received considerable attention upon its release. It was praised for its richly detailed portrayal of New York City during the ’70s and its complex, well-developed characters. The novel’s structure and storytelling techniques, including multiple perspectives and shifting timelines, added to its literary acclaim.
Unlike the City on Fire canceled series, the novel generated significant buzz even before its publication in 2015. Several factors contributed to its popularity, including its publishing rights which Knopf acquired for a substantial advance. Additionally, the novel received glowing praise from notable authors and literary figures.
Despite its popularity and critical acclaim, the City on Fire novel received mixed reviews. Some readers found the story overly ambitious and cited its 900-page length as an issue. However, its impact on the literary scene and its popularity with many readers make it a notable work in contemporary fiction.
