Prime Video has decided not to renew Motorheads for a second season, despite strong fan support and encouraging completion rates.
The YA drama, created by John A. Norris, premiered on May 20 with a 10-episode run. More than three months later, the streamer has opted to move on.
However, fans may not have seen the last of the show. With Amazon’s approval, producers have begun shopping Motorheads to other platforms. Executive producer Jason Seagraves said he remains optimistic about finding a new home: “We set out to make a show with no agenda and a lot of heart, to give families something they can watch together. The fan enthusiasm has energized us, and we’re optimistic someone else will support the show.”
The series stars Michael Cimino, Melissa Collazo, Ryan Phillippe, and Nathalie Kelley, alongside Uriah Shelton, Drake Rodger, Johnna Dias-Watson, and others. It stood out for its diverse cast, with four Latino leads, and its wholesome, family-centered storytelling in the YA space.
Although Motorheads struggled with visibility at launch, it quietly built momentum. The show spent weeks in Prime Video’s U.S. Top 10, even re-entering the Top 5 recently, and still sits in the Top 10 today. Critics gave it solid reviews, with a 78% Rotten Tomatoes score, while audiences were even more enthusiastic, rating it at 95%. According to Amazon MGM Studios’ head of TV Vernon Sanders, the completion rates were “a great sign,” showing viewers who started the series tended to finish it.
Still, those numbers weren’t enough. The show never appeared in Nielsen’s Top 10 streaming rankings, and on Luminate’s charts it hovered in the 40s, peaking at No. 19 in late May with 3.29 million viewing hours. Despite being an early global No. 1 on FlixPatrol, the overall audience size was not high enough to secure renewal.
The cancellation leaves fans without answers to two major cliffhangers from the season finale. A high-stakes street race ended in a fiery crash, with Harris’s fate left unresolved. Meanwhile, Caitlyn received a mysterious call possibly connected to her estranged father, teasing a central mystery that may remain unfinished unless the series is picked up.
Amazon’s YA division has been expanding with hits like The Summer I Turned Pretty, Maxton Hall, and We Were Liars. But unlike those titles, Motorheads was not based on a bestselling book, which may have limited its promotional push and visibility.
Produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Jax Media, the series was developed by Norris alongside Seagraves, Jake Fuller, Dana Brunetti, and Keegan Rosenberger. Neil Burger directed the pilot, with Ryan Zaragoza serving as producing director.
For now, Motorheads fans will have to wait and see if another streamer steps in to give the series a second life.
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