Paramount+ cancels Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies , Queen of the Universe , and Star Trek: Prodigy
Grease is apparently not the word.
Paramount+ is saying goodbye to four different series as it prepares to incorporate Showtime into its platform, including Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Star Trek: Prodigy, Queen of the Universe and The Game.
A Paramount+ spokesperson said in a statement to EW that the series have "completed their runs on Paramount+ and will not be returning to the service."
The statement continued, "We want to extend our thanks to our tremendously talented cast and crew and our producing partners for their passionate work and dedication on these programs, and we wish them all the best on their future endeavors."
Eduardo Araquel/Paramount+; Nickelodeon/Paramount+; Guy Levy/Paramount+ 'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies'; 'Star Trek: Prodigy'; 'Queen of the Universe'
Rise of the Pink Ladies, which served as a musical prequel series to Grease, tells the origin story of Rydell High's rebel girl gang. It wrapped up its first season on June 1, but Paramount Television Studios will have the opportunity to shop the series elsewhere.
In the case of Queen of the Universe, the RuPaul-produced drag queen singing competition featuring Mel B, Trixie Mattel, Michelle Visage, and Vanessa Williams on its judging panel has been canceled after two seasons on the streaming network.
The move comes one day after the platform unexpectedly premiered the entire second half of season 2 on Thursday, despite four prior episodes having streamed weekly since June 2. On Friday, a Paramount+ spokesperson confirmed this was done "so that fans can finish out season two before the series comes off the service on June 30."
Season 2 ended with Mexico's Taiga Brava winning the competition (and a massive $250,000 prize) over fellow top-three finalists, including Australia's Trevor Ashley and Drag Race Italia star Aura Eternal. The season also included American Miss Continental pageant winner Jazell Barbie Royale — star of a viral performance of CeCe Peniston's "He Loves Me 2" — finishing the competition in fourth place.
In the case of Star Trek: Prodigy, the animated series' cancelation comes as it had already been renewed for season 2. That new season will complete post-production, but the studio will be looking for a new home for it. Meanwhile, season 1 will be coming off of the streaming service shortly.
The Game, a revival of the former CW/BET comedy of the same, was axed after two seasons. As with Rise of the Pink Ladies, CBS Studios will have the opportunity to license The Game elsewhere.
In explaining the cancelations, a Paramount+ spokesperson said in a statement Friday: "As we prepare to combine Paramount+ and Showtime later this month in the U.S., we are refining our content offering to deliver the best streaming experience for subscribers. This is consistent with our content strategy since launch and across our business, which ensures we make smart, efficient choices, informed by audience data and insights. We are removing select programming as we look to optimize Showtime's robust slate of premium originals."
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