Last July, X-Files creator Chris Carter told reporters about his plan to shoot 99 episodes of his new series The After. As it turns out, Carter won’t just fall short of that mark–his new series won’t get off the ground at all. According to Variety, The After, which previously received a full-season order, has been canceled by Amazon Studios.
The After initially debuted as one of five entries in Amazon’s second round of competing pilots. It was ultimately greenlit alongside three others: Transparent, which has earned critical acclaim and Golden Globe nominations; Mozart in the Jungle, which has proven to be a fun series full of charm; and Bosch, which will become Amazon’s first hour-long drama when it debuts.
Out of those four pickups, The After was without a doubt the most questionable pickup. The supernatural thriller, which initially followed eight characters stranded in a parking garage, drew plenty of negative comments from critics. The Hollywood Reporter called the characters “cookie-cutter,” GeekWire termed them “eight flat archetypes,” and Indiewire went with “one-note cliches.” The most damning review came from io9. “I couldn’t tell if this was trying to achieve a Sharknado-esque so-bad-it’s-good vibe,” reads a post on the sci-fi blog, “but I think it wasn’t. I think it was trying to be serious.”
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Despite these complaints, The After gained some positive feedback from fans, and Carter has a strong TV track record, so Amazon picked up the series. Now, though, Amazon Studios VP Roy Price is singing a different tune. “We have decided to not move forward with The After” he stated. “We would like to thank Chris Carter, the phenomenal cast, crew and producers for all their efforts.”
If you’re still eager to check out The After despite its cancellation, you can re-watch the show’s pilot, which is still available on Amazon.
