Disney Plus just canceled new adventure series Renegade Nell with 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, despite a super-cool season 2 tease from the director

One of Disney Plus' high hopes just got a big nope

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Renegade Nellwas one of the shining stars of Disney Plus' 2024 slate – the streamer clearly thought it would be a big hit. But despite gaining a respectable 88% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes with 87% from the critics and earning a place on ourbest Disney Plus showslist, the swashbuckling comedy drama, written by Sally Wainwright ofHappy ValleyandGentlemen Jackfame and featuring a fantastic performance byDerry Girls' Louisa Harland, won’t be renewed for a second season.

The reason for the cancelation comes down to the fact that it hasn’t hit “several metrics”. That’s according toDeadline, which quotes a Disney spokesman who says that while “we’re incredibly proud of the world created by Sally Wainwright and lead director Ben Taylor”, the show won’t be coming back to thebest streaming service.

What you won’t see from Renegade Nell

Back in April, director Ben Taylor told theRadio Timesthat he and Wainwright were already working on a possible second season: “There is some crazy, crazy stuff in store.” The second season would have picked up from the end of season 1 but jump forward in time a few years.

The show centered on Nell Jackson, a quick-witted and courageous young woman framed for murder and forced to become an outlaw. The reviews were largely enthusiastic:Empiresaid that “with a bold premise and an array of fantastic performances,Renegade Nellis an action-packed, fairy tale-tinged swashbuckler with something to say”, while theNew York Timessaid that “the show is amusing, intelligent and very well executed”.

However, while many reviewers found lots to likeThe Hollywood Reporterwas disappointed and, given this week’s news of the show’s cancelation, prophetic: “Renegade Nellnever does deliver on the early promise of its concept, and eventually settles into the disappointment of unfulfilled potential.”

If you’re a fan of Sally Wainwright’s work, however, there is some good news: she’s currently working on a BBC show calledRiot Women, which is about five menopausal women who form a punk rock band.

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Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir,Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock bandUnquiet Mind.

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