Why Did AMC And Netflix Drop Their Adult Animation Series ‘Pantheon’ And ‘Inside Job,’ And Could Either Come Back Elsewhere?

Who is hurt by these cancelations? The fans are hurt of course, but it’s the artists who dedicated months and years of their lives to these series that really suffer. Ignoring the emotional toll of spending countless hours on a project that is never seen, artists depend on their most recent work to find their next project. When episodes, seasons, or films are shelved by studios – who own the rights and can keep the titles under lock and key –  the people who worked on them have nothing tangible to show for their efforts. Veteran tv producer Carina Adly Mackenzie discussed the issue on Twitter, saying:

The best comparison I can make is it’s almost like if you want to become a restaurant manager, so you work at a restaurant for a year doing EVERYTHING you’re told, and then corporate says “thanks for great work, but you can’t put this year on your resume.” There’s just this hole. Yeah, you got paid. But you have nothing to show for the experience you have now.

What do the shows have in common? Both were ambitious animated series with high production values. They both also featured rich and complex storylines that were geared toward an adult audience. Each featured some near-future science fiction aspects, and both boasted big-name voice casts that probably didn’t help with budgeting. Inside Job’s cast included Lizzy Caplan, Christian Slater, Clark Duke, Andrew Daly, Bobby Lee, John DiMaggio, Tisha Campbell, and Brett Gelman. Pantheon’s cast included Daniel Dae Kim, Paul Dano, Taylor Schilling, Rosemarie DeWitt, Aaron Eckhart, Ron Livingston, Chris Diamantopoulos, Raza Jaffrey, William Hurt (his last role before his death), and many others.

Are both shows gone for good? Sadly, with so many platforms dropping animated content, the chances that either of these fan-favorite series might be saved seem low. Although, in the case of Pantheon AMC did say in its SEC filing that “the Company may realize some future licensing and other revenue associated with some of the owned titles,” so fans shouldn’t give up hope just yet. With Inside Job, fans can at least still watch season one on Netflix.

Reaction: Inside Job creator Shion Takeuchi confirmed the show’s cancelation on social media, lamenting what might have been if she and her team had been allowed to finish their story:

I’m heartbroken to confirm that Netflix has decided to cancel season 2 of Inside Job. Over the years, these characters have become real people to me, and I am devastated not to be able to watch them grow up. Reagan and Brett deserved to get their ending and finally find happiness. And I would have loved to been able to share what was in store with you all.

To everyone who watched, thank you for coming along on the ride. Even though I’m sad, It helps to know that there’s people out there who cared just as much about these characters as me.