AMC Networks has opted not to proceed with a second season of sci-fi series Orphan Black: Echoes starring Krysten Ritter. The news comes weeks after Season 1 of the Orphan Black spinoff ended its 10-episode run on AMC, AMC+ and BBC America on Aug. 25.
Carrying the weight of expectations stemming from comparisons to the original Orphan Black series, Echoes did not spark the same devoted following the 2013 series did. It launched to mixed-to-favorable reviews by critics (60% on Rotten Tomatoes), scoring lower with fans.
Set in 2052, thirty-seven years since the end of the original series, Orphan Black: Echoes takes a deep dive into the exploration of the scientific manipulation of human existence. It follows the life of the now adult Kira (Keeley Hawes) and her wife (Rya Kihlstedt), as they try to help an amnesiac woman, Lucy (Ritter).
Amanda Fix, Avan Jogia and James Hiroyuki Liao also star in Orphan Black: Echoes, which was created by Anna Fishko. She served as writer, showrunner and executive producer, with the original series’ co-creator John Fawcett as director and executive producer. David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, executive producers from Boat Rocker on the original series, also executive produced alongside Boat Rocker’s Nick Nantell and Kerry Appleyard as well as Katie O’Connell Marsh.
The original Orphan Black helped put BBC America on the original programming map and got it in the Emmy winners circle in a major way, with star Tatiana Maslany earning three nominations for her work playing multiple roles on the show, taking home the award in 2016. Orphan Black, which ran for five seasons, became a cult phenomenon with a passionate fanbase known as the “Clone Club.” All episodes of the original series and the Echoes offshoot are available on AMC+.
