Night Sky Cancelled at Prime Video
It’s one and done for Night Sky. Prime Video has cancelled the sci-fi series starring Academy Award winners Sissy Spacek and J.K. Simmons after a single season, our sister site Deadline reports.
“Spanning space and time,” Night Sky followed Irene and Franklin York, “a couple who, years ago, discovered a chamber buried in their backyard which inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet,” according to the official logline. The Yorks had “carefully guarded their secret ever since, but when an enigmatic young man” entered their lives, their quiet existence was quickly upended, “and the mystifying chamber they thought they knew so well” turned out to be “much more than they could ever have imagined.”
In addition to Spacek and Simmons, the ensemble included Chai Hansen (Shadowhunters), Kiah McKirnan (Mare of Easttown), Julieta Zylberberg (Separadas), Rocío Hernández (Las Estrellas) and Adam Bartley (Longmire). Season 1, which consisted of eight hour-long episodes, dropped Friday, May 20.
Series creator Holden Miller was a co-executive producer on the project, while Daniel C. Connolly served as showrunner and an executive producer alongside Jimmy Miller, Sam Hansen and Philip Martin.
TVLine’s Streaming Scorecard has been updated to reflect Night Sky‘s swift demise. Were you holding out hope for Season 2? Sound off in Comments.
I would have liked a proper ending.
So, anyone who has actually watched this, is it worth watching as a one and done? Or was it left too open ended?
Definitely left open-ended (although it was really only a cliffhanger for some characters). I’m disappointed. While the show was slow (and we didn’t get enough exploration and use of the portal), I enjoyed it.
Lol laughing about the posting instructions but yea I agree with what you wrote didn’t get enough portal exploration Why did the neighbor die if there is actually oxygen over there etc
Neighbor didn’t die
I assume the neighbor didn’t die. He went to the planets city; shown at the end. I’m sure he’ll be happier there.
Byron did say “Franklin, you won’t believe this!
The body they found was that of the man who was stabbed by the guy they gave shelter to. It wasn’t their neighbor.
I think what people will like about this show is the way J K Simmons & Sissy Spacek act together. The love of each other’s life. Thats some darn good acting. That’s what got me the most and then the suspense.
I agree. It reminded me of Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn in On Golden Pond. J K Simmons and Sissy Spacek were amazing. I could watch several more seasons of this. What a shame.
I tend to agree. The older couple was definitely the highlight of the show. It was kind of a slow build, but engaging .
The B story, which used some subtitles for English translation and the fact that they actually sent a film crew to ARGENTINA to film a much more lackluster B story, seems like a terrible waste of money, when they could have filmed in NM or Mexico with plenty of native Spanish speakers and called it Argentina (like that hasn’t been done before?).
Plus, some people just don’t like having to read subtitles to figure out what’s happening.
I would say that is a large part of the budget that killed the show. I really wasn’t engaged with the B story line and kind of muddled through it hoping to get back to the REAL story. 😂
This has definitely some interesting ideas, but the pacing is so slow and some stuff about the cult is just stupid. Remember Orphan Black with the cult storylines, and it’s just not interesting.
I agree completely (though I didn’t watch orphan black). I think the cost of budgeting for Intl filming and the additional logistics seemed like a huge waste of money. From that perspective, I’m kind of glad Bezos yanked his wallet and said “Nope. Waste of money”.
The Producers put themselves in that position, thinking Amazon’s got nothing but money. I hope this is a lesson learned for other series going forward.
The scenes in Argentina could have been filmed ANYWHERE. They were out in the desert! OMG.
In fact, it looked like they were in a tiny stage-built town, that could have easily been done MUCH cheaper. I was shocked to find that they travelled half-way across the world to film that!
Thanks guys!
Oh, definitely too open-ended! I really want to know what happens in the next steps of the story. Really bummed about there being no Season 2. I hope they reconsider.
It definitely needs a follow-up for all the loose ends.
I thought it was great, both plot, sub plot and acting.
Yes worth watching. You should also watch “Old Man” on hulu
It was left too open ended. I was really looking forward to another season, it was so different than any other show running today. But alas, Prime Video has let us down just like Netflix has done so many times
I couldn’t agree more. I believe Netflix canceled ‘I’m Not Ok With This ‘. Brilliant young acting with a great story, if you’re a Sci-Fi person. Very, very disappointed there wasn’t another season. I absolutely love Night Sky and am equally disappointed in the cancellation.
Like many others, I have started reserving my time to watch series that have more than one season.
I think the streamers (and others) are going to have to find another metric to measure audience engagement.
Th mantra, if it isn’t viral, I isn’t good has got to go.
Many more people each season are wising up to the fact that these streamers are just throwing shiznit at the wall and trying to see what sticks and cancelling half or more of their shows after only one season, often 10 episodes or less. Not worth my time.
People are going to refuse to engage with a show until they feel that the streamer is standing behind it.
The Expanse was one of those shows that Bezos took a personal interest in and got it made.
I think some major changes could have been made to reduce budgeting on Night Sky. It could have been done with a much smaller budget and been just as good or better.
If they went to Argentina to film an adobe house, I suppose we should be thankful that the producers didn’t insist on filming on an actual other planet!
Too open ended. Every character is very endearing to me and I want to know what happens next. Some sort of closure please.
CS
Yes it is worth watching. Even just for season one.
I watched only the 1st episode. Wasn’t my kind of TV.
I almost canned it after 1 episode as well, it was a super slow build up.
The Peripheral on the other hand, starts off strong and falls off quickly.
I don’t know really care if they make a 2nd season of it. But once again, I’m start to avoid shows that don’t have more the than 1 season unless they are designed that way .
Maybe that is the secret. They need to start designing shows that are totally self contained in a season, although that’s really hard to do in just 8 or 10 episodes.
But it can be done well.
I recently checked out Black Knight on Netflix. It was short and told a complete story. It was extremely satisfying for a Korean Syfy drama. With no need for a 2nd season.
American production companies and many others are always looking for a long term payday, taking advantage of their viewers with follow-on lackluster content. Like the series HEROES, it was just prolonged stupidity bringing back to the the same bad guy season after season after season and viewers abandoned it.
It worked slightly better in Alias, but I also stopped watching that after season 2 or 3. It just became circular and boring. The writers are just not that good.
Black Knight could have NOT KILLED their big bad guy at the end of season 1 and left the viewers hanging and feeling much angst trying to milk it for more $$. But they chose to just end it with one season and complete the story. A much better choice IMHO.
That’s really a shame. It was a very good show..,interesting with high quality talent.
I knew it would fail after first 2 episodes..too slow, too depressing…and great acting can’t make up for poor pacing…sad…I still liked it!
NO NO NOOOOO!! I loved Night Sky. Why is it not renewed??? Any chance it could be picked up by another streaming network? 😞😣😢
Absolutely none. Since Amazon has the first season, another streamer would only show season two. It wouldn’t be worth it to any streaming service to send viewers to a competitor to see the first season of a show. Sorry, but Night Sky is done.
It was cancelled because there wasn’t a car chase every 5 minutes. It was a cancelled because it was a story about two old people. And lastly , it was cancelled because it lacked zombies , blood and gore. ☹️
Great actors real storyline. This is a adult show we need this . Too much reality shows and shows with no content
Absolutely!! Baby boomers need intelligent NOT SLOW programming. I am also tired of car chases ,zombies,and millineial plots!!
It’s a shame. Good show. Probably two sci-fi for old people and too old for young sci-fi lovers. Fails to fit in in audience quadrant which in my view is what makes it great and unusual. God knows we need a bit of unusual.
You said, “Two sci-fi for old people..” how old are you? (It’s’too’. And are you five years old??? Sci-fi has been around longer than you’ve been born. Fyi, sci-fi is loved by people of ALL ages. Those “old people” you are referring to wrote many sci-fi stories, for novels and films . Educate yourself before you make ridiculous, discriminatory comments. 😒
Wrong on the age remark. We are in our 70’s and absolutely loved the show.
Yes. I would have liked a quicker pace but you’re right, we’re numbed by too many car chases etc
That’s what I’ve been thinking, too.
The second season one was finished I could not wait for what was to come. I’m really getting tired of getting invested in shows and characters only to have them canceled and leaving everything unfinished. There should be a law preventing this sh*t from happening over and over. If series are going to be cancelled without finishing they should have to make it mandatory to at least do a wrap up movie for us, the fans.
I concur!
That makes two of us. I’m done. I refuse to get invested in anymore series until there’s at least 4 seasons or more.
That attitude would make sure no series would last more than one season.
Not necessarily.
The drivel that is Rings of Power was GURANTEED 5 seasons.
I hope Bezos got some kind of out-clause on that one. He made a much better investment with NFL .
Most shows are written for a 2 season story arc, and then if it gets renewed for a third or more it usually jumps the shark with quicker lower quality writing. Like game of thrones, it also died the moment the source material ran out.
Babylon 5 was designed with a 5 season story arc in mind. And BattleStar Galactica renewed as well.
Its a huge commitment and seldom realized to its completion, especially with Syfy, due to larger budgets .
But at the end of Babylon 5, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Exactly! We loved it, the acting AND the story. So sorry to hear this sad news.
I agree.
This is so annoying.
I agree!
Amen!!
Yesss!!!
Dang. It was really good.
I’m sad about it ending. It was a good show. I loved Sissy and it was good to have her back on screen. They should REALLY rethink 🤔 ending it
We really enjoyed this show. Wish the network would reconsider.
Oh that is disappointing. It was slow to start but the last couple of episodes were great. I was hoping for a renewal.
And to add to that, perhaps a movie length episode to tie up the cliff hanger?
I quite liked this. It deserved an ending, of course. I’m rather disappointed, but, perhaps, not surprised that Prime cancelled it.
Sounds like to me that the show had a small niche audience. Thats not always enough for renewal these days as companies are looking for decent returns for their investment.
Same thing happened to Star Trek .
Niche audience,not worth renewing. 😂😂
Such a good show. Wanted to see more. So the couple & neighbor basically died in the end?
No they didn’t die. That was one thing I was looking forward to, their exploration of the new planet.
Not a new planet. Same planet, different timeline. Thats my suspicion. I feel like we all know the story. Turn to your Bible. I think the story was a Biblical one. Your characters all had angel names. The apostate calling, all led me to believe this all had a Bible tie in.
The best stuff usually does! Great story tellers . Love that book.
That’s a shame. Great premise, and great acting by the leads. It started slow but really picked up momentum in the last few episodes. I was looking forward to season 2.
My wife and I both loved the show. It was well acted, and written. Go ahead and watch it as a limited series. Although a few questions go unanswered, the last episode stands as a series end.
It’s been said before, but we have to keep trying: Every season 1 of every series should have a “wrap-up” segment in the can, ready to tack onto the finale in case of cancellation. It doesn’t have to be pretty or perfect, just enough to show they care about their audience.
Spot on! It would be nice if the Night Sky producers cared enough to give viewers a satisfying conclusion! Why is the show even promoted if it doesn’t have a true ending? Kind of lame!
You said it. It’s so frustrating to get invested in a series, only to be disappointed by a cancellation with no closure. I’ve seen it too many times.
It doesn’t always feel gratifying.
They gave Dollhouse an episode or two to wrap it up and it was just painful.
Firefly on the other hand, made a very satisfying film encore.
I liked it, even though it was a little slower than most shows, it had heart.
You nailed it, right there. It had heart. With all the violence on TV and streaming right now, heart doesn’t stand a chance. Some of the best acting from Sissy Spacek and JK Simmons in their careers.
No F words, I knew it would fail. Shame, Shame, Shame on Prime.
I watched the first episode, became convinced it would be cancelled without resolution, and stopped watching it. Looks like I was right.
Very disappointed! Agreed it started out a little slow, but watching 2 extremely great actors, I didn’t mind. The premise of the series was well thought out. It kept you watching every week to see what would happen next. The acting by everyone was superb. It would be nice to know how it ended. The cliffhanger definitely left me wanting more. To sum it up: The cancellation of Night Sky after one season was a bummer.
Doesnt surprise me. The novel and interesting premise was mostly set aside for generic themes and storylines we have seen a thousand times over. Even the stellar acting wont make up for that. Shame.
You mentioned “novel”. That’s not a bad idea.
Maybe these stories could be continued in another medium.
If they could establish that up front.
ie. If series only goes one season, the writer has the rights to continue the story in books or comics or some other medium…Amazon would be the ones selling the book anyway ! 😂😂 Amazon could even have a link to the followup book on the series page.
Occasionally, you can find an interview with the writers mentioning where they planned to go with the story . Unfortunately, those rarities are about the only instance for any type of closure in a situation like this.
Boooo I watched it and it was good!
There has been pushback against fast paced, shallow and teen-targeted ‘Marvel’ CGI entertainment which has moved the needle more in the direction of mature, deeper and slower paced character driven entertainment as exemplified by Night Sky, Dark Winds, Bosch (Legacy), Outer Range, Mind hunter, Dark, Sererence and Bloodline, all of which are binge worthy. Bloodline (with Sissy Spacek) managed a few seasons; Night Sky one season and the others we’ll need to wait and see. But one thing is for sure, showrunners, producers and the other powerful media sorts take a (financial and reputational) risk when trying to tell stories to a more mature (and more experienced) audience. At a time when audiences flock to the next shallow Tom Cruise installment, Minions, Jurassic or Elvis reboot, it’s an uphill battle to entertain audiences who look for relatable, sensitive, mysterious and/or exciting stories that make you think and feel. Night Sky did this.
Whether series or movies of this kind survive is determined at the ‘box office’. Patronize your foreign or non-blockbuster film house and subscribe to streaming services that produce what you like.
Your comment has great insight and delves into the instant gratification that exists in the entertainment world. The shows that actually last are series like Night Sky. The ones that might start out slow but have great actors and in the end develop a solid following that expands the base by word of mouth. Very disappointed in Prime Video.
its hard to find quality sci-fi I get so excited when I find something I like and then, after one season poof it’s gone like a farmer sighting a ufo. Nobody tries to establish an audience any more….
.
This is so disappointing. I really enjoyed this show. It was different, great acting, deep and REAL emotions which was so refreshing to see. I was so looking forward to the story continuing. It deserves at least a wrap up episode!
Very slow. Underpinned by a weak story line. After the initial suspense on what might be at the bottom of their garden, it is soon replaced with rolling eyes over you realise the interpretation of the promising plot is pretty boring. In addition, it was obvious from the outset that all the casting money was spent on the two Oscar winners with the supporting cast cringe worthy. On par with ‘actors’ in reconstruction episodes of “the perfect murder”. “Put the case on your head before I shoot you head” being my favourite love from S4 E6. Honestly guys, the comedy value is under valued. Anyways, back to this. Poor show, I watched one and half episodes and realised it wasn’t as billed. Shame as they could have been creative rather than the ‘hook’ being the fact they sit in a room watching a foreign landscape…ooooooo, stop with the drama I can’t take it 😅 3/10.
Horrible take. You can’t watch one and a half episodes and judge an entire series, it absolutely kept building momentum to where there was faster pacing the last few episodes, far more than just looking at an alien landscape. Just stick to movies and shoot em up series and let the grown ups have something that builds to something interesting.
One of the the few shows I really enjoyed this year and Amazon craps on it!