Amazon Renews ‘Carnival Row’ For Season 2, Cancels ‘Too Old To Die Young’ And Four Other Shows
Amazon Primeoriginal series needed either fairy wings or a spaceship to escape the bloodbath of Amazon cancellations, as the streaming service axed five shows including Nicolas Winding Refn’sToo Old to Die Youngand the Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen-fronted supernatural seriesForever. But in the midst of Amazon’s ruthless cancellations,Carnival Rowsurvived with a second season renewal, despite it being a month out from its season 1 premiere.Varietyreports that Amazon announced the renewal ofCarnival Rowfor season 2, which came as a surprise considering the show doesn’t premiere on the streaming service until August 30. But it’s more surprising in the face of the many cancellations Amazon announced, totaling five series. Those series includeForever, the supernatural half-hour series that aired for one season, Refn’s ambitious hourlong crime dramaToo Old to Die Youngstarring Miles Teller, Matthew Weiner’s anthology drama seriesThe Romanoffs, the podcast-inspired horror showLorethat ran for two seasons, andPatriot, which also ran for two seasons.
WhileCarnival Row’s renewal is curious considering it hasn’t accumulated a following yet, it does fit in with Amazon’s new focus for its Amazon Prime originals.Collidernotes that the streaming service seems to be shifting to “event series” likeJack Ryan, which has been renewed through season 3 after the reception of its first season, as well as the expensive upcomingLord of the Ringsseries. Shows based on the booksThe Wheel of TimeandThe Underground Railroadare also in development.
Carnival Row, which is based on Travis Beacham’s feature script “A Killing on Carnival Row,” seems to fit this mold, with a star-studded cast including Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne, who star as two star-crossed lovers in a Victorian fantasy world populated by mythological immigrant creatures and the humans who oppress them. The series got a big push from Amazon at San Diego Comic-Con, where fans were introduced to the sprawling fantasy world through an extensivepaneland an immersiveactivation.Carnival Rowpremieres on Amazon Prime Video onAugust 30, 2019.
