The expensive series ‘Nightflyers’, co-produced by Syfy and Netflix, has been grounded. Based on the 1997 movie of the same name, which was itself based on a novella by George R.R. Martin, this was a massive risk for Syfy and is the most expensive show produced for an NBCUniversal network. Even after bringing in Netflix as a partner and attempting an innovative release strategy, the show did not attract enough viewers; 623,000 viewers tuned in for the premiere, but only 420,000 stuck around for the finale. Martin, whose ‘A Song of Ice & Fire’ novels have been spectacularly adapted into HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’, was credited as executive producer but had very little to do with the show.
‘Nightflyers’ followed the exploits of “eight maverick scientists’ and a telepath who journey to the edge of the solar system aboard a ship called The Nightflyer, in hopes of finding alien life. But things go wrong as “terrifying and violent” incidences begin to take place aboard the ship, and they realize that something else is inside with them. “They start to question each other, and surviving the journey proves harder than anyone thought.”
The core cast consisted of Eoin Macken, David Ajala, Jodie Turner-Smith, Angus Sampson, Sam Strike, Maya Eshet, Brían F. O’Byrne, and Gretchen Mol.
Syfy attempted an unprecedented roll-out model for ‘Nightflyers’, releasing the entire 10-episode first season on December 2, on digital platforms, then aired the episodes for ten nights straight on the standard Syfy network. The entire series was released on Netflix worldwide on February 1. Though streaming numbers aren’t usually made public, based on the news of the cancellation, it appears that it hasn’t proven successful there. Or at the very least, it hasn’t performed well enough to justify the steep price tag.
Did you watch and enjoy ‘Nightflyers’?
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
