LOS ANGELES — In a move that has stunned television critics and triggered an immediate fan outcry, Amazon Prime Video has officially canceled its faith-based family drama It’s Not Like That after just one season.
The decision is a major blow to viewers who connected deeply with the series, particularly because it leaves the show’s central romance entirely unresolved. The cancellation comes less than two months after the series completed its wider global rollout on the streaming platform, rendering the March 8 finale a permanent, cliffhanger series ender.
A Searing Blindside for the Cast and Creators
The news came as a severe shock to the production team, given the exceptional critical reception the series enjoyed. Created by Parenthood alumni Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson, It’s Not Like That followed the delicate relationship between Malcolm (Scott Foley), a recently widowed pastor raising three children, and Lori (Erinn Hayes), a newly divorced mother of two teenagers. As lifelong friends trying to survive single parenthood, the pair slowly began to question if their deep-rooted platonic bond was setting the stage for a romantic future.
The drama holds a flawless, rare 100% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Lead actor Scott Foley, who previously faced a sudden departure from the police procedural Will Trent, expressed immense heartbreak over the swift axing. Speaking on the series before the cancellation, Foley praised the project’s unique tone, noting that “the writing on this was so beautiful and simple, and it made me laugh.”
Co-star Erinn Hayes echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that the show represented the exact kind of full, emotionally lived-in storytelling she cherished making as an actor.
Chart Success Wasn’t Enough to Save Malcolm and Lori
What makes Prime Video’s decision particularly baffling to industry insiders is that It’s Not Like That appeared to be an unqualified commercial success under Amazon’s newly transparent viewing metrics.
While streamers are notoriously tight-lipped regarding exact data, the family drama had firmly established its footing on the platform:
- Global Footprint: On June 3, Prime Video’s inaugural weekly global rankings featured the show at No. 9 on the worldwide series chart.
- Domestic Resilience: The series maintained a remarkably stubborn presence on the U.S. Daily Top 10 list, sitting comfortably at the No. 5 spot on the day the axe fell.
The show was produced by Wonder Project, an independent, faith-focused studio operating under the Amazon MGM Studios banner. While Amazon’s new corporate leadership opted to pull the plug on Foley’s pastoral drama, the studio simultaneously handed a multi-season vote of confidence to Wonder Project’s alternative flagship property, House of David, which recently secured a Season 3 renewal.
A Cliffhanger Frozen in Time
For the show’s dedicated fanbase, the cancellation is made doubly frustrating by the specific narrative mechanics of the Season 1 finale, “Hope and Peace and Joy and Love.”
The final episode concluded with Malcolm finally working up the courage to confess his romantic feelings to Lori—only for a harsh reality check to reveal the confession took place entirely within his own imagination. When a stressed Lori confessed that she was feeling deeply torn between her current boyfriend and a potential reconciliation with her ex-husband, Malcolm chose to bury his confession to protect her peace.
Because of Prime Video’s abrupt cancellation, that imaginary confession is where the story terminates forever. With fans aggressively taking to social media platforms like X to protest the decision, It’s Not Like That joins a growing, frustrating list of highly rated streaming projects cut down in their prime by intense corporate budget realignments before they are ever given a true chance to grow.
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