Prime Video has taken the shock decision not to renew one of its biggest summer hits, Ride or Die.
The buddy spy comedy starring Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer premiered on the streaming platform in July to glowing reviews from critics, who singled out the chemistry between the two leads as well as Waddingham’s chops as an action star.
Just two weeks after its debut, it also became the surprise breakout hit of the season, leading all original shows across streaming services for the week of 17 to 23 July, with an estimated 1.6 billion minutes watched, Variety reported at the time.
In the US, within just two days of release, it had close to a million views – twice as many as Prime Video’s critically panned Legally Blonde prequel Elle, and almost four times as much as its buzzy teen ice hockey romance Off Campus, both of which were the subject of intensive marketing campaigns.
Ride or Die follows Debbie Claybourne (Spencer) and Judith Burton (Waddingham), best friends who believed they knew everything about one another.
However, Debbie is stunned to learn that Judith is actually an international assassin; when a hit goes horribly wrong, the pair are forced to go on the run together across Europe.
The show features a supporting cast that includes Ed Skrein, Calam Lynch, Savannah Steyn, Jamie Parker, Jacky Ido and Bill Nighy.
The lead studio behind the comedy, Paramount Television Studios, is now shopping the series around to other streamers, Deadline reports.
The publication also suggests that the show’s focus on middle-aged women “may have been a factor” in Prime’s decision not to renew, while also noting that “reasons are murky”.
The Independent has contacted Prime Video and representatives for Waddingham and Spencer for comment.
The decision comes months after Prime swung the axe on another acclaimed series, It’s Not Like That, prompting lead actor Scott Foley to speak out over the decision.
“After six or so weeks in Prime Video’s Top 10, I think getting as high as like three or four, really great reviews — I think we have like 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes — our little show called It’s Not Like That has been cancelled at Amazon Prime,” the 53-year-old told fans in a video shared to Instagram.
Foley, whose credits include Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, confessed he was “disappointed” but “grateful for the chance” to have worked on the show.
