Barely five months after its debut, a TV show starring a Game of Thrones fan favorite has already been sent to the chopping block.
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Indeed, Ponies, the 1970s spy comedy-drama starring Emilia Clarke (who famously played Daenerys Targaryen on Thrones) and Haley Lu Richardson (The White Lotus), has been canceled by Peacock after just one season.
The show’s co-creator and executive producer, David Iserson, confirmed the sad news on Instagram. In his post, he also reminisced about the seven-year journey to bring the show, which he co-created with Susanna Fogel, to the small screen.
“What we made surpassed all of my hopes and dreams for a television show,” he wrote in part in the June 23 post.
Set in the Soviet Union in 1977, Ponies follows two U.S. Embassy secretaries in Moscow, Bea (Clarke) and Twila (Richardson), who become CIA operatives. Iserson also mentioned the show’s modest viewership, which he said ultimately led to its cancellation despite strong critical acclaim.
“This is a bold, surprising, stylish television show. Everything beyond that – ratings, algorithms, all of it – is out of my control. I am very lucky to have made something I love,” Iserson wrote. “If you watched the show, I am grateful. Please tell others. Not because it helps us, but because I think they will like it too. If you’ve never heard of Ponies, check it out. It’s not like anything else on television.”
‘Ponies’ Co-Creator Offers Hope to Fans After Acclaimed TV Show Canceled
That said, Iserson left fans of the TV shows with just a smidge of hope for a revival.
“Goodbye to Bea and Twila for now,” he teased. “I hope we all get to visit them again.”
“To other writers and creators: I still believe that trying to make the kind of thing that is hard to make in this business – for us, a period show with two female leads and an unusual tone – is worth it,” Iserson added. “Regardless of how the journey ends, chasing the improbable rather than the likely is still worthwhile.”
Meanwhile, in the comments section to the heartfelt post, fans rallied behind the show, which enjoys a 94% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“This is a colossal mistake on [Peacock’s] part. The show was wonderful,” one top fan comment read. “Ponies is tremendous, I hope someone can help you bring season 2 back to us,” another fan added.
“The show was great. Who do I fight,” a third onlooker chimed in.
Here’s hoping Ponies scores big during awards season this fall and manages to land another network with the momentum…