Did Amazon just make a huge mistake with this fantasy epic?

There comes a time when the fans of any big novel series feel fear in their souls, at times outpacing excitement, when a big adaptation is announced. Whether it's a TV series or a movie, the unknown factor is always a massive worry before your beloved source material is interpreted in new ways.

Putting aside the question of taste and approach, though, TV shows in particular have a new peril that is rarely matched by films: they might just get cancelled altogether. Amazon just underlined that threat by cancelling one of its flagship shows – The Wheel of Time, which now won't get a fourth season or beyond.

It's a pretty major shame, not least because there was a huge amount of material left to go through in the remaining books of the saga, and it ensures that another major show will go unfinished despite the commitment of its cast and writers. Spare a thought in particular for Rosamund Pike, who's given up a heap of time at the peak of her career to front the show.

The Wheel of Time Season 3 - Official Trailer | Prime Video - YouTube

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It's a fairly safe assumption that the numbers simply didn't add up for Amazon, despite a big leap in reviews for the third season, suggesting that the show was actually just hitting its stride. It's hard to escape the idea, though, that Amazon is playing the hand it dealt itself a few years ago.

After all, it's always been odd that Prime Video has both The Wheel of Time and The Rings of Power ongoing at the same time – two huge, extravagantly-budgeted high fantasy series with a lot of thematic overlap. There's nothing wrong with trying to monopolise fantasy fans, but it has looked like a confusing double play for years.

Unlike The Wheel of Time, though, industry write-ups suggest that Amazon is contractually committed to finishing five seasons of The Rings of Power, so it actually can't axe the Tolkien show no matter how it performs. That's a lock-in that might have made The Wheel of Time look expendable by comparison.

Still, it's a real shame, and every time one of the biggest or best streaming services makes a cancellation like this, it erodes trust with viewers for forthcoming series. Amazon will have to work hard to prove it can stick with shows that might not land with instant success.