Showtime’s On Becoming a God In Central Florida has joined the other canceled TV shows to be “unrenewed” due to COVID-19 complications.
As the pandemic continues to devastate millions of people worldwide, the television industry is struggling to figure out how to work amid increasingly complicated productions. It’s bad enough when a show gets canceled, but it’s even more painful when canceled TV shows are series once renewed — only to have the renewal ripped away.
Which six canceled TV shows were ‘unrenewed’ due to COVID-19?
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has resulted in numerous shows being “unrenewed.” On Becoming a God in Central Florida has become the latest casualty, joining the ranks of other canceled TV shows lost due to the virus.
6. Canceled TV shows: On Becoming a God in Central Florida
According to a Deadline exclusive, Showtime has opted not to move forward with On Becoming a God in Central Florida as initially planned. In a statement released to the publication, the network said they could not begin production on a new season due to the pandemic. They reportedly tried to reunite the cast and crew for Season 2, but things became “untenable.”
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“It is with great regret that we are acknowledging ‘On Becoming a God’ will not return,” said the statement.
On Becoming A God In Central Florida starred Kirsten Dunst as minimum-wage water park employee Krystal Stubbs.
The first season follows her as she slowly cons her way up into the ranks of Founders American Merchandise, a multibillion-dollar pyramid scheme that ruined her life. Dunst received a Critics’ Choice Television Award and Golden Globe Award nomination for her work on the series.
5. Canceled TV shows: Stumptown
The action-packed series Stumptown starring Cobie Smulders, based on the comic book series of the same name, was renewed for a second season back in May. In September, ABC announced that it had reversed the renewal decision after COVID-19-related production problems would delay the series until April 2021.
Reports indicate that ABC is trying to shop Stumptown to another network, but it remains canceled as of writing this article. Smulders played Dex Parios, a Marine veteran working as a private investigator while supporting her younger brother in Portland, Oregon.
4. Canceled TV shows: GLOW
As Show Snob previously reported, Netflix has opted not to move forward with GLOW‘s fourth and final season. Fans have taken the news particularly hard, as unlike the other series on this list, GLOW had already run for several seasons and procured a loyal fanbase. Viewers will now have to contend with the Season 3 finale functioning as the series ending.
Despite being a critically-acclaimed series with numerous accolades under its belt, GLOW became a COVID casualty due to its intimate and intensely physical content. As a wrestling show, Netflix decided it would be too difficult to move forward with the heightened production costs it would require to safely film the series.
Netflix executives were also not confident there would be enough of an audience left to mitigate the costs by the time it would premiere — likely not until 2022 at the earliest.
3. Canceled TV shows: I’m Sorry
After being renewed for a ten-episode third season by TruTV, Andrea Savage’s series I’m Sorry was unrenewed due to COVID-related production issues. Deadline reported that the show had already been two weeks into filming with all ten scripts written when the cancellation happened.
The situational comedy followed Andrea Warren as she struggled to juggle her career, social life, marriage and motherhood in suburban L.A.
“Due to circumstances created by COVID, we unfortunately cannot move forward with production on the third season of ‘I’m Sorry.’ We admire Andrea Savage’s irreverent voice and fresh take on parenthood and are so proud of the show she and her cast and crew created. She was a great partner for many years and we truly wish everyone well,” said a statement released by the network.
2. Canceled TV shows: The Society
The Society was a mystery teen drama on Netflix revolving around a group of teenagers that go on a field trip and return to an empty town with no escape. The teens were forced to create their a community and rules for survival while stranded alone. The first season did well for Netflix and remained a trending topic for several weeks.
People got sucked into the addictive nature of the series. It ended with several massive cliffhangers and the central mystery remaining unresolved. Fans were relieved when it was renewed, but unfortunately, Netflix unrenewed both The Society and I’m Not Okay With This simultaneously.
1. Canceled TV shows: I Am Not Okay with This
Starring Sophia Lillis as Sydney Novak, a 17-year-old girl who starts realizing she has telekinetic powers, I Am Not Okay with This was canceled by Netflix after one season after initially being renewed for Season 2. The series was based on the graphic novel of the same name by Charles Foresman.
Netflix decided to reverse renewals on The Society and I Am Not Okay with This at the same time, kickstarting the new, disappointing trend. Both series had been well-received by fans and critics. Their impending second seasons had been highly-anticipated before the renewals reversed course.
“We’re disappointed to have to make these decisions due to circumstances created by COVID, and we are grateful to these creators,” said Netflix in a statement to Deadline.
For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.
Out of all the shows that have been “unrenewed” so far, which one stings the most? Are there any series you’re worried about getting canceled? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.