showrunner

Fans haven’t given up on The Wheel of Time—the Robert Jordan epic fantasy adaptation that was just abruptly cancelled by Amazon after three seasons—and neither has showrunner Rafe Judkins. Prior to what turned out to be the show’s final outing on Prime Video, Judkins spoke about his commitment to finishing The Wheel of Time‘s story, and he’s renewing that vow in a new social media post.

Judkins took to Instagram to share his reaction to the cancellation (he feels fans’ pain, that much is clear), praise his collaborators, and weigh in on the current state of the TV industry. Here’s the full statement:

“I’ve been asked the same questions many times the last week—why was The Wheel of Time cancelled? And the truth is, I don’t know. I wish I could say something clear and tidy that explains to all of us who love it why it’s coming to an end, but sadly, I can’t.

What I can say is that the actors and crew on our show are the most talented and wonderful group of people I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. And we’ve all been incredibly lucky to make something that not only was beloved by fans (and even critics! ha!), but was also watched by huge numbers of people all over the world, appearing in the Nielsen Top 10 for nearly 20 weeks, a feat very few shows have been able to match in the last decade.

One of my core goals in making this show, even from the earliest crafting of the pitch, has been to tell the whole story. Because the Wheel of Time books do what television has always done best—get better as they go. And as our actors and team came on board, they too could see the potential if we were allowed to finish this incredible story. We made many sacrifices, both personal and creative, along the way to get to that ending, so coming up short feels like a devastating blow for all of us.

Much has been written about this larger trend in TV toward fewer seasons with less episodes and finding quicker ways to acquire additional streaming subscribers. But I genuinely believe this goes against the fundamental strength of television—long-form storytelling. It is an art form, much like epic fantasy, which at its very best, gives people a place to go and spend time with the characters that they love year after year. And I believe there are executives, studios, and networks who know that. I believe that we will find our way through this current iteration of the industry and back to what we do best—bringing great characters into people’s living rooms and lives every week.”

Finally, Judkins offered some hope for Wheel of Time‘s future, referencing another fan-favorite series that got a joyfully unexpected resurrection after being cancelled.

“Will Wheel of Time get to do that with another network and finish the story? Sadly, it’s not something that happens often. But it does happen. In fact, one of the reasons we first chose Amazon as a home for the show was because they were in the midst of picking up The Expanse after SYFY cancelled it. So, who knows, perhaps the Wheel of Time show will do what the books have always managed to do since day one—defy the traditional definitions of ‘beginnings’ and ‘ends’. I certainly hope it does—because this book series and these fans deserve to see the story finished.”

We’ll keep you posted if and when The Wheel of Time does indeed find a new home on a different streamer. Considering the reason given for the Wheel of Time being cancelled was financial concerns, it’d have to be a deep-pocketed outlet. Maybe Netflix will pull a Lucifer-style rescue and add another fantasy title to its library, especially now that The Sandman is ending soon?

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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