Netflix has cancelled the sci-fi series Altered Carbon after two seasons, as the show’s viewership numbers weren’t high enough to justify its cost.

Deadline reports that Netflix made the decision back in April and that the cancellation had nothing to do with COVID, which the streamer recently blamed after axing The Society and I Am Not Okay With This — two freshman shows that had already been renewed for a second season.

Laeta Kalogridis created Altered Carbon, which is based on the 2002 novel of the same name by Richard K. Morgan. The first season of the cyberpunk series starred Joel Kinnaman as elite interstellar warrior Takeshi Kovacs, and since the show involves body-swapping, Anthony Mackie was brought in to play Takeshi the following season, which saw the character continue his centuries-old quest to find his lost love Quellcrist Falconer (Renée Elise Goldsberry). Kalogridis served as showrunner for Season 1, while Alison Schapker took over for Season 2.

Altered Carbon was produced by Skydance Television, which is also behind the Netflix hit Grace and Frankie. The streamer doesn’t like sharing a piece of the pie, so Skydance’s hefty producing fees likely played a factor here. I’d call it a shame, given the ease with which a new actor could’ve been brought in each season, but the truth is that I didn’t last five minutes watching this show. I gave it a chance and knew almost instantly that it wasn’t for me.

Though I’m a Mackie fan for life, I didn’t bother sampling the second season of the show when it debuted Feb. 27, and I wasn’t even aware that Netflix put out an Altered Carbon anime movie on March 19. The streaming giant will release its next sci-fi drama, the Hilary Swank series Away, on Sept. 4.

via Collider