The Wheel of Time is one of the biggest names in the literary world, and its TV series adaptation by Prime Video is also quite popular, despite it not being as big as Robert Jordan’s book series!
Although the TV series got off to a rough start, it was Prime Video’s most-watched series premiere in 2021. Some fans liked it while others didn’t really enjoy it, but it was pretty clear that the show’s quality was only improving with each season.
However, following the show’s third season, it’s been revealed that Prime Video has officially cancelled “The Wheel of Time” TV series, leaving fans with an unfinished story!
If you were hoping to see the whole epic saga play out on screen, you’re probably feeling frustrated—and you’re definitely not alone. Although it was optimistic to hope that the entirety of Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series would be adapted, it still hurts that it was cancelled so soon.
But what exactly happened? Dig in to learn more about why the show ended, the fan reaction, and what could be next for The Wheel of Time fans after Amazon pulled the plug.
Why Was The Wheel of Time TV Series Cancelled After Season 3?
Prime Video’s most significant reason behind the show’s cancellation was financial, because the series was “well-liked” creatively by the streaming site’s executives, according to Deadline!
The TV adaptation was based on an epic fantasy series by Robert Jordan, which Brandon Sanderson finished, and adapting a complex book series like The Wheel of Time is not an easy thing.
Co-produced by Sony Pictures TV and Amazon MGM Studios, the TV show was a high-budget fantasy drama, and as we get deeper into the story, the budget per episode started increasing to keep up with the battles, the detailed sets, and the substantial visual effects.
But with declining viewership, it wasn’t the best option, at least financially, to continue the series!
The TV adaptation of “The Wheel of Time” got off to a fantastic start back in 2021 as the first season became Prime Video’s most-watched series premiere of the year. It also became one of the platform’s top 5 series launches of all time!
However, the viewership was declining with each new season!
The fantasy drama’s first two seasons stayed in Nielsen’s Top 10 Originals chart for their entire runs. However, that wasn’t the case for the third season. Season 3 of the show dropped out of the rankings after the first three episodes.
Even though the third season performed splendidly worldwide, getting a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which was much higher than its previous 2 seasons, it still wasn’t enough for the show’s creators.
Despite the show’s quality improving with each season, the third season being the best-rated on Rotten Tomatoes, the decline in viewership numbers was enough for Prime Video to pull the plug.
What Are The Fan Reactions To The Show’s Cancellation?
Since Amazon cancelled The Wheel of Time after three seasons, you probably noticed ripples across the fan community. Social media, forums, and fan sites saw spikes in activity as people expressed their reactions, most of which aren’t happy!
The fans, longtime book readers, and new viewers alike are unhappy with the news. People who have read the book wanted to see their favorite characters in live-action, and people who came to know about this expansive universe from the TV shows wanted to see where it goes.
The TV show brought the epic fantasy series to global fandom. The books were extremely popular in literary circles, but weren’t as well known among people who rarely read books. However, the show brought in new fans and readers who started checking out the book series.
Now that the show is canceled, it’s highly likely that we’ll see an uptick in book sales as people pick up Robert Jordan’s books to know what happens to their favorite characters, where the story goes, and how it will all culminate in the end!
What’s Next for The Wheel of Time Series?
If you are wondering if there’s any chance for some other streaming site or production studio to pick up the TV adaptation and continue with a fourth season, then that’s not the case at the moment.
Personally, I think it would be highly optimistic of you to believe that The Wheel of Time TV series could continue in some format.
With a fantasy epic like this, you must allot a huge budget to make a decent show. And as “The Wheel of Time” experienced a decline in viewership over time, and a streaming giant like Prime Video gave up on it, there’s barely any chance that any other streamer or production house would want to spend money on reviving it!
We can certainly hope for the series to continue in some format, maybe a spin-off series, but I recommend keeping your hopes low because it’s all about profit, and no production house would want to risk spending money on a passion project that doesn’t guarantee a significant ROI!
What Can Fans Do Next?
If you’ve watched all three seasons of The Wheel of Time TV series and were hoping for the next season to drop soon, you must be sad about the news of the series’ cancellation!
You might have been too invested in the story and wanted to see how the plot develops and where your favorite character goes, but you won’t be able to see it in live-action anymore.
As things stand, there’s only one thing you can do to know how the story ends: read the books!
If you are a new fan who got introduced to the series via the TV adaptation, getting into the book series is the best thing you can do because the books will always be better than their adaptation, and that’s also the case with The Wheel of Time!
Even if you’ve already read the books, you might want to re-read them because who doesn’t like reading about their favorite characters repeatedly!
| Book No.: | Book Name: | Release Date: |
| 1. | The Eye of the World | 1990 |
| 2. | The Great Hunt | 1990 |
| 3. | The Dragon Reborn | 1991 |
| 4. | The Shadow Rising | 1992 |
| 5. | The Fires of Heaven | 1993 |
| 6. | Lord of Chaos | 1994 |
| 7. | A Crown of Swords | 1996 |
| 8. | The Path of Daggers | 1998 |
| 9. | Winter’s Heart | 2000 |
| 10. | Crossroads of Twilight | 2003 |
| 10.5 | New Spring (Prequel to The Wheel of Time Series) |
2004 |
| 11. | Knife of Dreams | 2005 |
| 12. | The Gathering Storm | 2009 |
| 13. | Towers of Midnight | 2010 |
| 14. | A Memory of Light | 2013 |
Conclusion
That brings us to the conclusion of this article! Now you know why The Wheel of Time got cancelled after 3 seasons!
If you loved the TV series, you should consider getting into the book series because it’s way better, and you won’t be disappointed. If you don’t like to leave things unfinished, I am sure you’ll pick up the books no matter what I say!
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