Amazon Cuts Two Hit Shows After Only One Season in Latest Wave of Cancellations

Amazon Prime Video has canceled two of its new dramas, Countdown and Butterfly, after just one season each.

The shows, which starred Jensen Ackles and Daniel Dae Kim, aired earlier this year and were produced by Amazon MGM Studios. Both series had made it onto Nielsen’s top 10 streaming originals chart, showing they drew some audience attention.

Countdown, created by Derek Haas, followed an LAPD detective recruited to an undercover task force to track down the murderer of a Department of Homeland Security officer.

The investigation uncovered a dark conspiracy, and the story built toward a tense race against time to save Los Angeles.

After the season finale, Ackles told Variety, “It was designed to lead into Season 2, so fingers crossed Amazon is still liking what they’re seeing, and the audience participation and the critics talking about it give us enough firepower to continue that story and see where this goes. Obviously, it would suck if it just ends there!”

However, critics were not impressed. Aramide Tinubu, chief TV critic at Variety, called Countdown “monotonous” and a “snooze fest.” She added, “Not one individual on the force is truly compelling or distinct. Backstories that should have added color to the main plot only weigh down the extremely thin storyline. Without compelling storylines or characters, the show fails to make a significant impression.” On Rotten Tomatoes, the show holds a low 35% critic score.

Butterfly, created by Steph Cha and Ken Woodruff, followed a former U.S. intelligence agent whose past decisions come back to haunt him and his family. Tinubu gave the series a similar review, describing it as “more smoke and mirrors than gritty character-driven material,” even though it had the ingredients of a thriller.

Amazon has also been making other decisions for its streaming slate. The streamer recently renewed We Were Liars, Overcompensating, and the crime thriller spinoff Ballard, based on the Bosch universe, while canceling Motorheads as well.

These cancellations show just how competitive streaming has become. Even shows with big-name stars need strong characters and gripping stories to survive. It’s a reminder that not all series can find their footing, even with audience interest. Do you think Countdown or Butterfly deserved a second season, or was Amazon right to pull the plug? Share your thoughts in the comments.