Amazon Prime’s The Tick fails to find a new home and won’t be renewed

In a world with a thriving Marvel Cinematic Universe and The CW’s relentless Arrowverse, some shows still can’t get a break, including The Tick.

Add The Tick to the growing list of canceled programs based on beloved comics. Last month, Amazon discontinued the original series from its streaming service, and left the showrunners scrambling to find a new network if not some other alternative.

Unfortunately, no other parties were interested, pronouncing the show dead in the water. Executive producer and Tick creator Ben Edlund took the liberty to personally share the bad news with everybody on Twitter Friday, writing:

Edlund also stated there is a silver lining as long as the property can come back in some form down the road:

Star Griffin Newman, portrayer of the meek Arthur, replied and expressed his gratitude toward the show’s fan base that tried to save it with the #SaveTheTick campaign:

Based on comics by Edlund, The Tick was adapted twice before for television, once as a live action sitcom on Fox starring Patrick Warburton (known best for Seinfeld and voicing Joe on Family Guy). He went on to produce the Amazon version.

The big blue crusader’s first rise to prominence outside the printed medium was as a Saturday morning Fox Kids cartoon. It starred the voice talents of Townsend Coleman and Rob Paulsen (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) as Tick and Arthur, respectively, and only lasted a small number of seasons. Reruns aired on basic cable channels, including Comedy Central and Disney XD, on and off for years after.

In any medium, plots revolved around Tick and his roommate sidekick Arthur, an office worker who, wanting to make more of a difference, dons a moth costume and a set of butterfly wings. On Amazon, Arthur (Griffin Newman) teams up with his cohort (Peter Serafinowicz) to fight The Terror (Jackie Earle Haley), the figure at the center of crime in the city.

The Tick joins Happy! and Deadly Class, axed by Syfy, and Swamp Thing, which was suddenly and inexplicably canceled by DC Universe before completing its shortened season. All are now among those adaptations that failed to make the cut.