Paul Hurley January 2nd, 2023 - 7:30 PM
According to Deadline, Netflix has unfortunately decided to cancel the sci-fi mystery series, 1899 after just one season. News of the show’s cancellation came from the Instagram account of showrunners Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar (Dark, Who Am I) who stated, “With a heavy heart we have to tell you that 1899 will not be renewed. We would have loved to finish this incredible journey with a 2nd and 3rd season as we did with Dark. But sometimes things don’t turn out the way you planned. That’s life.”
1899 is a historical thriller series set in 1899 which tells the story of a mixed cast of European immigrants who encounter a string of mysterious events onboard the deck of their steamship, the Kerberos, as they head from Southampton to start new lives in New York City. Things only get worse when the passengers of the Kerberos discover another migrant steamship adrift on the open sea and begin experiencing strange and supernatural phenomena, turning their dreams of safe passage to the West into a terrifying, blood-curdling nightmare.
The decision to cancel 1899 comes as a shocking move from Netflix considering that the show received mostly positive reviews from critics during its initial debut back on November 17, 2022. The series was praised for its casting, directing, cinematography, and acting, although some critics considered the pacing a bit slow.
Friese and bo Odar were co-showrunners and executive producers for 1899 with Friese serving as head writer and bo Odar serving as director. The series included the acting talents of stars such as Emily Beecham (Into the Badlands, Little Joe), Aneurin Barnard (The Goldfinch, Dunkirk), and Andreas Pietschmann (Dark, The Team).
In the same Instagram post announcing the cancellation of 1899, bo Odar finished his somber declaration with a heartfelt sentiment of gratitude; “We know this will disappoint millions of fans out there. But we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts that you were a part of this wonderful adventure. We love you. Never forget.”
