More than six months have passed since fans were left reeling amid Prime Video’s abrupt cancellation of As We See It. Although the coming-of-age comedy was viewed favorably by both critics and viewers — holding a 90% critics score and 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes — and was believed to be a shoo-in for a Season 2 renewal – a writers’ room had been at work for months on a second season – it seems the decision to cancel the show after just a single season came down to an all too familiar factor: low viewership.
When the cancellation news first surfaced in October, representatives for Amazon declined to comment on the decision, leading to plenty of questions regarding why the beloved series was axed. Showrunner, writer, and executive producer Jason Katims shed some light on the show’s early end in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, confirming that As We See It didn’t draw enough eyes for Amazon to warrant a second season.
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“I would ask them to explain it. It’s about viewership. Creatively, my Amazon execs were fully invested in the show. My understanding is internally, at Amazon, it was a show that was well liked,” Katims explained. “I think it comes down to numbers; they needed more people watching than those who watched. They don’t divulge specifics about that to anybody. I don’t know the details unfortunately. I know that the decision was made not based on anything creatively. They just needed more eyeballs.”
Based on Israeli scripted-format On The Spectrum and created by Dana Idisis and Yuval Shafferman, As We See It was a coming-of-age comedy that followed Jack, Harrison, and Violet, twentysomething roommates on the autism spectrum, as they strive to get and keep jobs, make friends, fall in love, and navigate a world that eludes them. It starred Rick Glassman, Albert Rutecki, and Sue Ann Pien. The series debuted in January 2022 to critical success, with the show’s Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus reading, “As We See It deftly sidesteps schmaltz by depicting people on the spectrum as well-rounded individuals with their own foibles, enriching both the comedy and pathos.”
In October, months after the series premiere, it was confirmed that As We See It would not return for a second season. Speaking with THR, Katims admitted, “As We See It was a show that was very personal to me, and I really thought it was going to get renewed. I was shocked that it wasn’t because critics and those who watched had a positive response. There just weren’t enough people watching as far as what Amazon’s expectations were. Maybe this is a conversation that will evolve over time.”
