Disney+ Fantasy Adventure Series Canceled After Season 1 Gets Fans In Uproar
The Disney+ fantasy adventure series Renegade Nell has been officially canceled after just one season. The series was a quick hit amongst fans, and many have taken to social media to express their disappointment with Disney. This isn’t the first beloved original series that streaming services have canceled too soon, and it almost certainly won’t be the last.
Sally Wainwright’s Renegade Nell Is Canceled
Renegade Nell was created by Sally Wainwright and stars Louisa Harland (Derry Girls) as the titular Nell, who is framed for murder and becomes an outlaw in 18th century England. Fortunately, a magical sprite named Billy Blind appears to reveal Nell has a grander destiny in store. Along with Harland, the series stars Adrian Lester, Nick Mohammed, and Joely Richardson.
Sally Wainwright, known for shows like Gentleman Jack and Happy Valley, wrote Renegade Nell as her first series for Disney+. After this abrupt cancellation, it wouldn’t be surprising if Wainwright is wary to work with the streamer again in the future. According to Deadline’s exclusive report about the cancellation, the series was reportedly axed by Disney because it didn’t reach a certain threshold for renewal based on several metrics.
Season 1 Viewership Numbers May Be A Factor
It seems that perhaps Renegade Nell didn’t get enough viewers for the Disney+ execs to give it the green-light for renewal because the decision certainly wasn’t made based on reviews. The show has been warmly received, particularly for Harland’s lead performance, and many were hoping the show would get picked up for more seasons. Now, it seems the best we could hope for is another streamer picking up the series if Disney is willing to sell it.
A Common Occurrence With Streaming
For their part, a spokesperson for Disney said that they were “incredibly proud” of Renegade Nell and thanked Wainwright, director Ben Taylor, the cast, the crew, and the production partners at Lookout Point in a statement about the cancellation.
Despite this damage control, fans are still going to be pretty unhappy that yet another original series didn’t get its chance to shine in the sun. It’s becoming an increasingly common concern for streaming services, as fans can’t reliably get invested in a new show or IP without worrying about it not getting a complete run to tell its story.
Wainwright’s Other Work
While Wainwright won’t get to continue working on Renegade Nell, the UK series creator is now working on a BBC drama called Riot Women which will follow a punk band formed by five women going through menopause. It’s unclear exactly what metrics Disney+ felt Renegade Nell didn’t reach, but Wainwright has had better luck with the BBC so, hopefully, her next show won’t meet the same fate. Last year, she was able to wrap up Happy Valley after a three series run.
Not All Hope Is Lost, But Don’t Hold Your Breath Either
While Renegade Nell didn’t get the green-light for a second season, director Ben Taylor did tell Radio Times at one point that a second season of the show was being written and that there would be a time skip involved. So, if any other streamers are listening then it seems like there’s a chance to pick up a promising series. We’ll just have to wait and see if that happens, but for now it seems like Renegade Nell is done.
Source: Deadline
