AMC is saying goodbye to Orphan Black: Echoes after one season, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The Orphan Black sequel series, which starred Krysten Ritter, was set in the near future in the same fictional world as the BBC cult favorite led by Tatiana Maslany, who won an Emmy for her portrayal of Sarah Manning.
According to its logline, Echoes followed a “now-adult Kira (Ritter) and her wife, as they try to help an amnesiac woman. The futuristic series takes a deep dive into an exploration of the scientific manipulation of human existence. A group of women weave their way into each other’s lives and embark on a thrilling journey, unraveling the mystery of their identity and uncovering a heartwrenching story of love and betrayal.”
The series comes from writer and showrunner Anna Fishko and Boat Rocker, whose Temple Street Productions produced the original series that ran from 2013-17. Fishko’s credits also include AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead and Netflix’s The Society. Keeley Hawes, Amanda Fix, Avan Jogia, Rya Kihlstedt, and James Hiroyuki Liao rounded out the cast.
Ahead of the show’s release, Ritter spoke to THR about the show and how it’s “hard to launch” a new project in today’s TV landscape.
“There are so many platforms and, as a business decision, it’s a bonus to have existing IP and a marquee name and built-in fan base,” she said at the time. “So, that was appealing. And the reason why this one felt good to me was because it’s totally its own thing. It’s not the same DNA [as the original series]. It’s set in the same world. We’ve got clones or printouts, but it’s not the same. I’m not playing seven characters like Tatiana [Maslany]. We’re not remaking that show, so it felt like this show was also its own thing.”
