Apple TV Plus reportedly cancels one of its best new sci-fi shows, Sunny – leaving the series on a cliffhanger ending

by DTM | Posted on

The future isn’t looking bright for Sunny, as Apple TV Plus has reportedly cancelled the critically acclaimed sci-fi series after one season.

Screen Daily was the first to report the rumor, with the publication writing: “Sources close to the production confirmed that the series, produced by A24, will not return following the 10-episode run that began in July and concluded with a cliffhanger on September 4.” TechRadar has contacted Apple TV Plus for comment, and we’ll update this article if we get a response.

Apple TV Plus is a sci-fi show utopia, with the likes of Severance, Dark Matter, and Silo all becoming huge successes for one of the best streaming services. Sunny was Apple TV Plus’ latest entry to the genre, but despite it earning an impressive 90% Rotten Tomatoes score there seemingly won’t be a second season.

While the news hasn’t officially been confirmed, Cancelled Sci fi cited that low viewership was a reason for its cancellation. The website said: “This is yet another show that arrived on Apple TV Plus with little in the way of promotion and it did not draw much of an audience. It did not make it into the Nielsen Streaming Rankings during its first season run.”

What is Sunny about?

Sunny, which was one of four new Apple TV Plus shows arriving in July 2024 that we couldn’t wait to watch, stars Rashida Jones as Suzie Sakamoto, an American expat living in a future Japan whose life is turned upside down when her husband (Hidetoshi Nishijima) and son (Fares Belkheir) disappear in a mysterious plane crash. In an effort to console her, her husband’s electronics company gives her ‘Sunny’, one of a new class of domestic robots it’s developed. Suzie and Sunny form an unlikely bond, and together they begin to unravel the dark truth about what really happened to her family.

Sunny is based on the book The Dark Manual by Colin O’Sullivan, and trailer makes the show look like a buddy comedy, but the best Apple TV Plus show is actually more of a mystery thriller that balances humor with themes of grief, loneliness, and friendship. TechRadar’s Amelia Schwanke, who spoke to the show’s creator, Katie Robbins, found the show to be a sad yet uplifting tech story that raises questions about our relationship with AI. Sunny was shot wholly in Japan, and became known for its quirky, distinctive style.

Jones shared her wish for a season 2 renewal with The Hollywood Reporter, and the cliffhanger ending certainly paves the way for a second series, so we can only hope that Sunny gets picked up by another streamer.

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