Prime Video has canceled ‘Ride or Die’ after one season. The action comedy stars Hannah Waddingham and Octaap later confirmed it
The show premiered on July 15. All eight episodes dropped at once. The cancellation came a little more than two months later.
Paramount is shopping the show
Paramount Television Studios is the lead studio behind the series. Deadline reports it is now shopping the show to other buyers. No new home has been announced.
The season ended on several cliffhangers, which leaves room for more episodes.
Viewing numbers
Deadline says the show was the most watched Prime Video original series worldwide for its first three weeks. ‘Elle’ held the top spot for two weeks. ‘Off Campus’ held it for five.
More than two months after launch, the show was still in Prime Video’s weekly global Top 10. It most recently sat at No. 8.
Nielsen data tells a similar story. The show logged five straight weeks in the Top 10 originals across all streaming services. It pulled in 506 million minutes of viewing during the week of Aug. 3 to 9. That ranked fifth.
Reviews and scores
Critics gave the series a 96 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences gave it 85 percent.
Variety’s Aramide Tinubu reviewed the first season. She said the show works best when it leans into its ‘Thelma & Louise’ side. She also praised the chemistry between Spencer and Waddingham.
A surprise to the team
Deadline says everyone involved was surprised. The report notes that the show was well received and performed well by available data.
Its completion rate is believed to be in the range of several renewed Prime Video series. Deadline named ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith,’ ‘Scarpetta’ and ‘Elle.’
The report also says the show launched with a fraction of the marketing money Amazon spent on its young adult summer lineup. That lineup got a large promotion campaign.
The story
Spencer plays Debbie Claybourne. Waddingham plays Judith Burton. The two are best friends who think they know everything about each other.
Then Debbie learns that Judith is an international assassin. A mysterious figure from Judith’s past appears, and a hit goes badly wrong. The two women go on the run across Europe. Police, rival assassins and criminals chase them.
Deadline places the show in a wave of ‘white wine thrillers.’ Those are series with adult female leads. It was also one of two July series about friendships between women in their 50s.
Cast and crew
Ed Skrein plays Billy. Calam Lynch plays Sam. Savannah Steyn plays Queenie. Jamie Parker plays David. Jacky Ido plays Jacques. Syl
Tessa Coates created the series. Matt Miller served as showrunner. Peyton Reed directed. Coates, Miller and Reed executive produced alongside Spencer and Waddingham. Andy and Barbara Muschietti, Irene Yeung, Brian Clisham and Stephanie Kluft also carry executive producer credits.
Production background
The project began at Skydance Television. It moved to Paramount Television after Skydance Media bought Paramount Global. Amazon MGM Studios, Spring Tide, Double Dream and Orit Entertainment were also producers. Double Dream is the Muschiettis’ company. Orit Entertainment is Spencer’s.
Reports first said Spencer and Waddingham would team up for the series in December 2023.
- Amazon Prime Video
- Ride or Die
