Tell Me a Story Cancelled by CBS All Access After Two Seasons

CBS All Access has cancelled Tell Me a Story after two seasons. Created by Kevin Williamson, the thriller anthology series took well-known fairy tales and reimagined them as dark, twisted psychological thrillers set in modern day. The series debuted on December 17, 2018 ended its second season on the streaming platform on February 6, 2020 airing 20 episodes in total. While the series cancelled, its broadcast rights were picked up by The CW along with the also-cancelled Swamp Thing from DC Universe and two other series (via Variety).

The first season of Tell Me a Story combined The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, and Hansel and Gretel into a tale of subversive love, loss, greed, revenge, and murder set in a modern-day New York City. The season starred James Wolk, Billy Magnussen, Dania Ramirez, Danielle Campbell, Dorian Crossmond Missick, Sam Jaeger, Davi Santos, Michael Raymond-James, Zabryna Guevara, Paul Wesley, and Kim Cattral. The second season adapted Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella and was set in Nashville. Had the series received a third season, it was set to adapt Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel and saw Wesley and Campbell return, joined by Odette Annable, Matt Lauria, Eka Darville, Natalie Alyn Lind, Ashley Madekwe, and Carrie-Anne Moss.

“The first season of Tell Me a Story turned conventional fairy tales on their heads, interweaving and modernizing three classic stories into a compelling thriller for today’s audiences, in a way only Kevin Williamson can,” said Julie McNamara, executive VP of original content at CBS All Access in a statement when the series as renewed for its second season.

Despite not getting a third season, Tell Me a Story will get a new audience on The CW with the network’s acquisition of broadcast rights. With the coronavirus pandemic having thrown the entertainment industry into an uncertain state with live-action productions on hold for the foreseeable future, the network’s acquisition of Tell Me a Story, along with Swamp Thing, Coroner and Dead Pixels may help fill out the schedule with new-to-viewers content, though premiere dates for the series have not yet been announced. Both seasons of Tell Me a Story will remain available to stream on All Access as well.

Are you sad that Tell Me a Story was cancelled after two seasons? Will you be checking it out on The CW? Let us know in the comments below.