Despite being praised by critics as one of the best horror series of 2024, Peacock has canceled “Teacup” after one season, Variety reports this afternoon.
The series debuted in October 2024 and was executive produced by James Wan and inspired by Robert McCammon’s Stinger.
It followed a disparate group of people on a ranch who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat in order to survive. As the showrunner previously revealed, it was only loosely based on the novel that inspired it, instead opting for a more cerebral, paranoid take on the material.
Scott Speedman (The Strangers), Yvonne Strahovski (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), and Chaske Spencer (“Jessica Jones”, The Twilight Saga), Kathy Baker, Boris McGiver, Caleb Dolden, Emilie Bierre, Luciano Leroux star in “Teacup.”
As I wrote in my review, “The inaugural season is self-contained, trapping its characters in a claustrophobic bubble of oncoming terror and interpersonal drama. It’s an intriguing world where you come to love the characters, warts and all. They’re all smart in their respective ways, and it all makes for a gripping reinvention of the modern western, one with a distinctly devastating horror twist.” While the season ended with a hook that opened up this world, introducing a much larger conspiracy afoot, at least the storylines are mostly wrapped so there are no major loose ends to mourn.
The series also boasted impressive talent behind the lens, with directors including E. L. Katz (Cheap Thrills, Azrael) and Chloe Okuno (Watcher and V/H/S/94’s “Storm Drain”).
As Variety notes, Peacock doesn’t reveal viewership data so it’s hard to gauge the series’ audience, but it did fail to make a dent on the Nielsen Top 10 streaming charts. It’s also worth noting that James Wan and Peacock are still collaborating on an untitled techno-thriller series.