Yet Another Prime Video Show Just Got Canceled
Abby Ajayi, creator and executive producer of British drama 'Riches,' confirmed the cancellation on her Instagram.
Prime Video has canceled yet another series. Riches creator and executive producer Abby Ajayi confirmed on Instagram that the streamer has canceled the British drama. She announced the news on the show's one-year anniversary of its premiere and praised the cast and crew, noting, "This time last year we launched. Much love to this incredible ensemble of actors and our fabulous crew. Thank you to everyone who supported. So proud we got to make this show."
Alongside a series of photos from the set and events, Ajayi teased that she "still had so many more stories to tell…" She shared that "it was gonna be…" with three fire emojis, a broken heart, a peace sign, and a heart to top it all off. The show was initially announced in 2020 and centers on a wealthy family dealing with a tragic event. All six episodes premiered on Dec. 2, 2022, and aired on Prime Video in The U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Nordics, and Sub-Saharan Africa. It later premiered on ITVX in the UK on Dec. 22, 2022.
Sources told Deadline that Prime reportedly informed the producers and distributor Banijay Rights that a second season would not be happening "awhile ago." As of now, ITV hasn't announced the show's status in the UK. Meanwhile, as with any cancellation, there's always the possibility it could be shopped elsewhere, but for now, it doesn't seem like Riches will be coming back, at least not anytime soon.
Deborah Ayorinde, Hugh Quarshie, Sarah Niles, Brendan Coyle, and Hermione Norris starred on Riches alongside Adeyinka Akinrinade, Ola Orebiyi, C.J. Beckford, Nneka Okoye, and Emmanuel Imani. The series centers on the family of self-made millionaire Stephen Richards after he suffers a stroke. With secrets and lies coming out, his cosmetics business is in jeopardy, and the lives of his children from his two marriages collide.
Riches is the latest Prime series to be canceled. The streamer previously canceled James Blunt's Beer Masters nearly two years after the first season premiered, and baseball series A League of Their Own was canceled in August, even after being renewed for a final season. No show is safe, it seems. It's disappointing that Riches has been axed, but there's always the possibility it could be picked up elsewhere. That and the fact that ITV has yet to make a decision in the UK. So, all is not completely lost, at least for now.