‘Time Bandits’ Cancelled by Apple TV+ After 1 Season

Time BanditsThe series’ final adventure has come to an end. Apple TV+ has decided not to renew the series adaptation of Terry Gilliam’s cult film for a second season. The news comes nearly a month after the end of the first 10-episode season of the fantasy series starring Lisa Kudrow, which aired in batches of two episodes per week.

The development is not entirely surprising. Despite the nostalgia factor and the mostly favorable reviews (78% on Rotten Tomatoes), Time Banditscreated by Jemaine Clement, Iain Morris and Taika Waititi, failed to attract a large enough audience and failed to crack the Top 10 of Nielsen’s streaming charts. (I’ve heard the series did well in the UK, the film’s home country and the series’ contemporary setting.)

After the first phase of the streaming wars, where the sole objective was to gain market share, streamers have taken a more disciplined approach in their transition to profitability, with big-budget scripted series like Time Bandits under special surveillance, tasked with crossing a higher audience threshold in order to continue.

The cancellation caps a long journey that began more than six years ago, when Apple TV+ acquired the rights to the beloved 1981 film for a series adaptation produced by the now-defunct Paramount Television Studios, Anonymous Content’s AC Studios and MRC.

In Time bandits, Kevin (Kal-El Tuck), an 11-year-old history buff, finds a time-lapse exit in his closet and meets the eponymous team of expert thieves. Led by Penelope, played by Kudrow, the villains embark on epic adventures as evil forces threaten their conquests and life as they know it. As the group travels through time and space, the gang stumbles upon fascinating worlds from the distant past while searching for treasure, relying on Kevin to shed light on each situation.

The series also stars Tadhg Murphy, Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, Rune Temte, Charlyne Yi, Rachel House, Kiera Thompson, James Dryden, Felicity Ward, Francesca Mills, and Imaan Hadchiti. Season 1 featured special appearances by Waititi and Clement.

Clement, Morris and Waititi produced, wrote and directed some episodes, with Clement and Morris serving as co-showrunners. Garrett Basch and Tim Coddington also produced the series with Jane Stanton, who produced the series for Handmade Films.