Apple TV+ Cancels ’80s Sci-Fi Reboot Series After One Season
Sometimes, time travel stuff works. Sometimes, not so much. Sometimes television adaptations work. And sometimes, not so much. Such is the case with Time Bandits which has been canceled after just one season on AppleTV+. Sure, it had the backing of cool source material and a streamer intent on putting out artistic content. But that wasn’t enough to save this series.
Time Bandits Canceled
Time Bandits had some big names attached to the show, making the cancellation surprising on a talent level, though not so much from the metrics side. The series starred Lisa Kudrow in the lead role as Penelope in a reboot of the 1981 Terry Gilliam film.
Jemaine Clement, Iain Morris, and Taiki Waititi brought the series to life with Clement and Waititii even having a role in the show. With this kind of Hollywood cache and a decent story to work with, one would have assumed Time Bandits was in line for a long run on the streamer.
But alas, the show only aired ten episodes, the last one airing on August 21, 2024.
The Time Bandits Story
Time Bandits follows the story of Kevin (Kal-El Tuck), an 11-year-old who figures out his bedroom actually serves as a portal to different time periods. That’s a nice find for the kid, considering he’s something of a history buff and also feels like a complete outcast from both his family and friends.
During these time travels, he meets the eponymous group led by Kudrow’s character. They are thieves who, using the map, hop from timeline to timeline, gaining access to all kinds of treasure.
Should Have Worked?
With Clement, Waititi, and Banks as the lead creatives for Time Bandits, the show mixed dry humor with the basics of history to cobble together a story that had this group hopping all over the timeline.
In theory, it should have worked with all of these pieces, but if the ratings could be believed, had trouble drumming up a core audience.
Critics Like Time Bandits
Time Bandits has a whopping 91 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with most critics agreeing there is enough humor and charm to go around here.
Plus, the family-friendly vibe of the story, though admitting there was a somewhat chaotic element to the proceedings, may have held it back some over the course of its first (and only) season.
The Original Time Bandits
The original Time Bandits, directed and written by Terry Gilliam, came out in 1981. The basics of that movie overlapped with the series in that it follows Kevin, who encounters a group of time-traveling dwarves on the run from the Supreme Being. They also get mixed up in history.
That first movie featured Sean Connery, John Cleese, Shelley Duvall, and Ian Holm, among other big names of the time.
A Disappointing End
It’s a disappointing end for a series that appeared to have real legs considering the source material, talent, and studio. But Time Bandits just couldn’t find the right kind of viewership, even for AppleTV+, which has a longer leash on some of its content than other streamers.
You can still stream the first season of Time Bandits on AppleTV+.
Source: Deadline
