Welcome back to Paramount+ Renew/Cancel. The below tables reflect where Paramount+ original series ranked when sorting by Popular on Sunday, February 19, 2023, as well as how many times shows with outstanding fates appear on the home page. This does not count the ‘Recommended For You’ section or the personalized ‘Originals’ section. Note that these rankings change slightly throughout the day, but are stable enough for one to get an accurate sense of their prominence on Paramount+. Below the tables are an analysis for Wolf Pack, Mayor of Kingstown, and Star Trek: Picard, which respectively had their series premiere, season premiere, and pre-announced final season premiere since the last edition of Paramount+ Renew/Cancel.
Here is our record since the last edition:
Table of Renewed Shows
Table of Shows With Outstanding Fates
As of this writing, Wolf Pack is the 16th show displayed in the Popular section on Paramount+, making it the 5th currently-airing Paramount+ original to appear. While not terrible by any means, three of the originals listed above it have not aired any new episodes in 2023. In fact, of the few Paramount+ shows that are currently airing new episodes, it is the lowest one down in the Popular list. It is the #2 show listed in the Young Adult and Sci-Fi trending sections, respectively behind Ghosts and Star Trek: Picard.
Wolf Pack by no means looks like a breakout hit, but there does appear to be a solid amount of interest in the show. Perhaps concerning is the lack of acclaim; at a 38% Rotten Tomatoes score, such a show could find itself to be vulnerable as Paramount and Showtime continue to integrate and Paramount+ begins to silently pull shows off their platform.
If canceled, Wolf Pack would be the first non-miniseries drama to premiere on Paramount+ and be canceled after one season. It’s certainly possible with the Showtime merger, but not all that likely. A decision may end up coming down to how it performs in the coming weeks. It starts in this table as Leans Renew.
Mayor of Kingstown
Unlike Wolf Pack, Mayor of Kingstown looks like a clear hit for Paramount+. Now in its second season, it is listed #3 in the Popular category, as well as #3 in Dramas. Like Wolf Pack, relatively low critic scores could be a drawback, but there is clearly interest in this show with viewers.
Another major complication to Mayor of Kingstown’s future could be star Jeremy Renner’s recent snowplow accident. This had previously left him in intensive care, with reports that he will have a long recovery ahead of him. However, even after this accident, Mayor of Kingstown’s creator did an interview with Deadline where he seemed keen to work on a third season. Without Renner’s accident, Mayor of Kingstown would probably be a safe bet for a renewal. It is still fathomable that Paramount+ does all they can to bring this show back, even if there is a longer than normal hiatus in between seasons. It lands in the Tilts Renew category, with outside factors weighing down but not drowning out its renewal chances.
Star Trek: Picard
Ranked #1 overall upon returning for its third and final season, Star Trek: Picard proves its popularity despite not even being Paramount+’s flagship Star Trek show. Even without Star Trek: Picard, Paramount+ will have original Star Trek series in the drama, animated, and kids genres, in addition to a vast back catalogue of past Star Trek series.
What is most notable about Star Trek: Picard ending is that it is one of a dwindling number of Paramount+ originals that began when the service was still CBS All Access. After the final season finishes airing, the only CBS All Access shows still producing new episodes will be Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Lower Decks. Now two years into the rebranding as Paramount+, the Star Trek franchise is just about all that is left of CBS All Access. With Picard ending and no upcoming Star Trek shows currently announced, time will tell what Paramount’s future plans for the franchise are.