This NBC Show’s Future at Risk, Cancellation Possible

It may only be springtime, but networks are already looking ahead to their fall 2021 TV lineups. One of those networks is NBC, which still has a number of series hanging in limbo, and sadly for fans of one show, the news may not be good. Debris, NBC’s freshman sci-fi series, could very well be facing cancellation after just one season, according to the most recent report on its fate.

The series is currently one of four bubble series for the network alongside Good Girls, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and Manifest. While two of those shows – Good Girls and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist – could make the move to streaming platforms for additional seasons, the same fate may not befall Debris. In a cancellation and renewal watch post from Deadline, the outlet reported that Debris “has not been looking very promising for a second season.” Debuting on the network in March of this year, the series is “a soft linear performer” with ratings that could be considered subpar.

From Fringe executive producer J.H. Wyman, the series follows partners CIA operative Bryan Beneventi and MI6 operative Finola Jones, members of an international task force, as they track down, collect, and identify debris of an alien spacecraft that has been falling across Earth over the last six months. Although the series may not be the best ratings performer, it was met with praise from critics. Currently, Debris has a 72% Tomatometer rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. In their review for TV Fanatic, Carissa Pavlica wrote that the series “has everything I want in a sci-fi drama. There’s a creator I trust, a strong cast, well-written characters, and a story that piques the mind intellectually and emotionally.” Collider, meanwhile, gave the series a B rating, writing that, “taken as a whole, Debris may ultimately struggle to soar beyond its most familiar and predictable components. But, at least based on the pilot, its best qualities may make it better suited for this moment right now than you’d expect.”

Among the audience, Debris has a 70% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Deadline reports that while the series may not be a standout ratings performer, it has done significantly better online. According to the outlet, negotiations still are in their early stages, and it is likely that fans will have to wait until after the NBCUniversal virtual upfront presentation on Monday, May 17 to learn the fate of Debris as well as the other three bubble series at the network. Should they be renewed, they’d likely have a midseason return. Stay tuned to PopCulture for the latest renewal and cancellation news, and catch new episodes of Debris when they air Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.