October 19, 2020

It is being reported that Netflix has cancelled Away after just one season. The sad news comes the month after the drama released its 10-episode freshman run, which ultimately drew a mixed reception from both viewers and critics.

So why did Netflix cancel Away so quickly after its premiere? According to the available data, the series garnered a fairly sizeable audience. It wasn't long after its September 4 debut that the show made it to the top spot of the streaming giant's Top 10 list. Nielsen streaming rankings also had it in its Top 10 for several weeks. But those numbers are just what the public has access to.

There was likely a more detailed set of internal data that only Netflix sees that factored into Away's early demise. Netflix is known to make renewal decisions based on cost vs. viewership, and by all accounts Away is one of the streamer's most-expensive shows of all time, so its internal targets for viewership were likely quite lofty out of the gate. The criteria for a second season go-ahead may have been much higher than what it actually obtained.

Set in the near future, the hour-long series stars Hilary Swank as American astronaut Emma Green, who leaves her husband and daughter behind to lead an elite international space crew on a perilous, years-long mission to Mars. The diverse team's extended time away from their families tests their relationships back at home as well as the new ones formed in space. Staying on track - and alive - is paramount, as their pursuit is humanity's most important goal.