Paramount+ Cancels Rise Of The Pink Ladies, Star Trek: Prodigy, & More Original Shows

Paramount+ canceled four original series today, all of which will be purged from the streaming platform in the coming days. The streaming service canceled "The Game," "Star Trek: Prodigy," "Queen of the Universe," and "Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies." In the case of "Star Trek: Prodigy," the news will be especially shocking to fans. The series was renewed for a second season in 2021 and even released a promotional video stating a 2023 release date for its new episodes.

The decision to not only cancel but also erase all four series from its service follows a growing industry trend of streamers pulling shows from their platforms as a cost-saving measure. As reported by Variety, a spokesperson for Paramount+ stated: "We want to extend our thanks to our tremendously talented cast and crew and our producing partners for their passionate work and dedication on these programs, and we wish them all the best on their future endeavors."

While none of the four series canceled by Paramount+ today were smash hits, the decision to scrub them from the platform is sure to raise hackles. Pulling content from streaming is often a cost-saving strategy that aims to avoid paying royalties or residuals to those who worked on the shows. Since payment to creatives is contingent on viewership, pulling the shows cuts off that revenue stream. While Paramount+ is far from the first streamer to engage in the controversial practice, its willingness to follow suit comes at an auspicious time and will not go unnoticed.

Film and television writers are currently on strike. At the heart of their complaints is how studios use streaming services to shortchange creators and saddle them with unfavorable terms of employment and compensation. Meanwhile, SAG-AFTRA is entering its final week of contract negotiations and seems poised to join the strike should its demands be rejected. Such an outcome would bring the entertainment industry to a grinding halt.

For creative workers, the streaming cancelations and purges underscore their concerns. The trend was kicked off last summer when the newly formed Warner Bros. Discovery shelved "Batgirl" — a film in the can — while scrubbing hundreds of episodes from beloved shows. Shortly after, Disney joined in and dropped dozens of titles from its Disney+ and Hulu platforms. Paramount+ didn't start the fire, but it's pouring gasoline onto the trashfire.