NOS4A2: Could another network save this cancelled series?

AMC’s NOS4A2 showrunner, Jami O’Brien announced Monday on Twitter that the horror series had been cancelled after two seasons.

NOS4A2 was based on Joe Hill’s novel of the same name, and centered on the evil Charlie Manx and troubled Victoria McQueen. After battling with Manx as a teenager, Vic had to go head-to-head with him again, this time with the goal of saving her young son, Wayne.

Between the horror of Manx and his eager assistant Bing kidnapping children and taking them to the cheery, yet eerie Christmasland in the Rolls-Royce Wraith, and the dysfunctional family dynamic of the McQueens, NOS4A2 told an engrossing tale. While Vic and her family were sympathetic, they were also infuriating at times.

Vic and her Dad were alcoholics, and Wayne was prone to wandering off and talking to Manx, even after being warned that he was bad news. In other words, they felt like real people

The series did very well in the ratings during its first season, but the second season viewership dipped by about half, despite the fact that season two episodes were simulcast on AMC and BBC America. That’s a real shame, because the show definitely picked up its pace in the second season.

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Worse yet, we are left with a cliffhanger, and viewers are not happy when a series gets cancelled with so many loose ends. SPOILER ALERT: Though it appears that Charlie Manx and the Wraith are both dead, Millie Manx is still on the loose.

Now that she has reached her goal of stepping out into the real world, she is no longer sure it was the right choice, and she wants Wayne to help her revive Christmasland. He still seems conflicted, and partly feels resentful that he didn’t get to experience Christmasland in its full glory.

Jason David as Wayne McQueen- NOS4A2 _ Season 2, Episode 7 – Photo Credit: Zach Dilgard/AMC /

So, we are left with the knowledge that the story isn’t really over yet, and now it may never be resolved. There are several different solutions that may help viewers come to terms with the show’s cancellation on AMC.

Is It Possible to Return to Christmasland?

One solution might be for AMC to film a two-hour series finale that could run next year in what would have been NOS4A2’s third season. O’Brien and her talented cast could work their magic, take us back to Christmasland and give our characters their happy, sad or terrifying endings.

The other option would be for another network or streaming service to pick up NOS4A2 for a third season. Although the series is available to stream on Shudder, it’s doubtful that they would pick it up, since it’s owned by AMC. That might not be a bad idea, though, since Shudder subscribers are all about horror.

NOS4A2 _ Season 2, Episode 9 – Photo Credit: Zach Dilgard/AMC /

Netflix could pick it up, because they seem to have a special love for the genre. After all, this is the streaming service that gave us The Haunting of Hill House and Marianne. Not only that, they are also currently streaming all three seasons of the violent and gory Hannibal, featuring the cannibalistic Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs.

CBS All Access is horror friendly, recently rebooting The Twilight Zone series. They are also set to premier the remake of Stephen King’s The Stand miniseries in December. Since NOS4A2 author Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son, it would actually be a nice touch for both series to air on the same streaming video service.

Whatever the fate of NOS4A2 may be, we have to admire the vision of Hill and O’Brien, along with the talent of Zachary Quinto, Ashley Cummings and the other excellent cast members. It was a fun ride (in a very scary car).

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Were you a fan of AMC’s NOS4A2? Should another network or streaming site pick up this series? Let us know what you think in the comments section.

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