In Hollywood, constant uncertainty has always been the name of the game, but lately, there seems to be even more reason for cancellation paranoia. “Dead Day” author Ryan Parrott put it best in his Twitter post breaking the news, where he wrote, “In this industry, you can never count your chickens until they’ve hatched, been named and apparently had chickens of their own.”
Sad to announce that my comic book “Dead Day” won’t be coming to Peacock despite being picked up straight to series.
In this industry, you can never count your chickens until they’ve hatched, been named and apparently had chickens of their own.
Rough day. https://t.co/YYAc7speF2
— Ryan Parrott (@ThatRyanParrott) January 27, 2023
That sentiment seems to get truer by the day. Peacock scrapping “Dead Day” despite a series order is in line with the recent trend of streamers and networks canceling shows despite their renewals. The most infamous examples have been coming out of Warner Bros.-Discovery, courtesy of CEO David Zaslav’s cost-cutting strategies, and the general change in direction for the company’s streaming content. A similar restructuring might just be happening at Peacock. The streamer is in the midst of changing its programming strategy under the leadership of Chairman Susan Rovner.
Per Variety, Peacock is apparently seeking out binge-able comedies (like the recently renewed “Bumper in Berlin” or the newly released “Poker Face”) and event-series-type dramas (such as “The Best Man: The Final Chapters,” which marked the first Peacock show to hit the Nielsen top 10 streaming charts).
While all of these backtracking cancellations are worth a grimace, it’s not exactly hard to understand why the streamer is getting cold feet in some areas and choosing to lean into its most successful lanes. Last year, losses attributed to the streaming service totaled $2.5 billion, and the company now expects losses to total $3 billion for Peacock in 2023. Obviously, change is needed for Peacock to ensure a successful future.