Rafe Judkins, the creator and showrunner of The Wheel of Time, has finally responded to Amazon’s cancellation of the series, and he’s not hiding his disappointment.
After three seasons, the Wheel of Time TV series was axed, with reports citing declining viewership and high production costs. The final episode dropped April 17.
Now Judkins has weighed in with a lengthy Instagram post, calling the cancellation “a devastating blow.”
Judkins doesn’t know why Amazon pulled the plug
While many fans assumed it came down to ratings, budget, or fan backlash, Judkins says even he doesn’t know the exact reason.
“I wish I could say something clear and tidy that explains to all those who love it why it’s coming to an end, but sadly, I can’t,” he wrote.
He did point out the show appeared in the Nielsen Top 10 nearly 20 times — more than most streaming series manage — and was watched by “huge numbers” around the world. However, it’s known that the viewership fell off during Season 3 as The Wheel of Time stopped appearing in the Nielsen charts.
“We made many sacrifices to get to that ending”
Judkins emphasized that the creative team was fully committed to telling the full story of Robert Jordan’s epic book series and had built toward a long-form payoff.
“One of my core goals… has been to tell the whole story,” Judkins said. “Coming up short feels like a devastating blow for all of us.”
He blamed the broader industry trend of shortening or outright canceling long-running shows in favor of short-term subscriber boosts, saying it undermines the real value of television as a storytelling format.
Could another network save The Wheel of Time?
Interestingly, Judkins hinted that there’s a slim chance the show could continue elsewhere.
“It’s not something that happens often. But it does happen. In fact, one of the reasons we first chose Amazon was because they were picking up The Expanse after SYFY cancelled it,” he said.
That might be a longshot, but Judkins ended on a note of hope, saying the series — like the books — has always found a way to keep going.
“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,’” he added.
Read the full statement:
“I’ve been asked the same question 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 those 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 that 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 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.
“Will The 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.”
