Award-Winning Sci-Fi Show Canceled

The British sci-fi series The Lazarus Project has been canceled, in spite of critical acclaim, a Royal Television Society Craft & Design Award win and a BAFTA Award nomination. The show starred Paapa Essiedu as a George, an average man who joins a secret organization that can manipulate time in order to avert apocalyptic disasters. The cancellation has caught many fans off guard, especially coming so soon after its BAFTA nomination was announced.

The Daily Mail reported the cancellation of The Lazarus Project last week, and a spokesperson for Sky Max confirmed the news. They said: “The Lazarus Project has brought audiences jaw dropping action and time-bending storylines across two series, and we are incredibly proud of this Bafta-winning series. Whilst we won’t be commissioning another series, we would like to thank the incredible team who made this show possible.”

The Lazarus Project premiered in June of 2022 on Sky Max in the U.K., but it has been available to stream in the U.S. since the start, and it also aired on TNT. You can still find the show on PVOD stores like Prime Video, Vudu or Apple TV. A second season premiered in November of 2023, and both seasons have eight episodes for a total of 16.

The story begins on July 1, 2022, and because it is about time travel, it returns to that point again. George lives through the second half of 2022 but six months later, awakens one day to find that time has reset to July 1 and no one else in his life has noticed. After two of these six-month loops, George is approached by Archie (Anjli Mohindra) on behalf of The Lazarus Project – the organization behind these resets to the timeline. She explains that the organization possesses a machine that can reset time to the most recent July 1, and they use it to prevent worldwide disasters through diplomacy, physical intervention or any other means necessary.

The Lazarus Project has an impression 100 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with 14 reviews accounted for. It just earned Essiedu a BAFTA nomination for Best Leading Actor, and it has become a sensation on social media as well. Some fans are still hoping that another outlet may pick up The Lazarus Project, but for now, the cancellation can’t be reversed. The two existing seasons are available now on PVOD services like Prime Video, Vudu or Apple TV.