‘Away’ Canceled on Netflix After Just One Season

Netflix is cutting one mission short, and promising that subscribers will not be taking another trip to Mars. The streamer has canceled its Hilary Swank-starring drama Away after just one season. The cancellation news, first reported by Deadline, comes just six weeks after the series debuted on Sept. 4.

Away followed Swank’s Commander Emma Green, an American astronaut who is selected to lead an international crew with members from China, Russia, India and the U.K. on the first mission to Mars. The mission set to last three years, Emma must reconcile her decision to leave behind her husband and teenage daughter when they need her the most. Aboard the spacecraft Atlas, meanwhile, personal dynamics and the effects of being away from their loved ones back on Earth become increasingly complex. Along with Swank, the series starred Mark Ivanir, Ato Essandoh, Vivian Wu, Ray Panthaki, Josh Charles and Talitha Eliana Bateman. Andrew Hinderaker created Away and executive produced with showrunner Jessica Goldberg, Jason Katims, Matt Reeves, Edward Zwick, Swank, Adam Kassan and Jeni Mulein.

At this time, Netflix has not given an explanation for its decision not to renew the series. Typically, renewal decisions are made on a viewership versus cost analysis. Launching in early September, however, Away debuted to much success. The series spent much of September ranked among the streamer’s top 10 series, and even held the No. 1 spot for several days after its release, according to Netflix’s own rankings and as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Nielsen’s streaming rankings also gave a positive outlook for the series, as subscribers had watched more than 2.7 billion minutes of Away over its first two-plus weeks of release, ranking it third among Netflix series in that time period behind Cobra Kai and Lucifer.

Away marks just the latest Netflix original series to get the axe after just a single season in a rising trend that has upset many subscribers. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Soundtrack, Messiah, Teenage Bounty Hunters, I Am Not Okay With This, and The Society have all only received a single season. The latter two of those titles, according to Netflix, were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, along with GLOW, the female wrestling dramedy which had previously been renewed for a fourth season.

The first and only 10-episode season of Away is available for streaming on Netflix. Stay tuned to PopCulture.com for the latest updates.