Prime has recently announced that they will be canceling their new Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino dramedy, Etoile, despite its initial two season order. Etoile is a dramedy about two large ballet companies in Paris and New York swapping their biggest talents to bring new life to both institutions and preserve the art of ballet. The show is an intimate look into the world of ballet and the struggles they face to keep modern audiences interested in the art form.

Amazon MGM Studios claims the reason for canceling the show, regardless of its positive reviews, was because of the cost vs. the performance. It is expensive to film in two different cities and hire professional dancers, that is true. However, the show has only been out for six weeks and it is not fair to expect that every original show will immediately break records. Television used to allow shows to have the room to grow and slowly find its fanbase, but in the world of online streaming even amazing reviews are meaningless if you aren’t breaking records within the first month. This new overly corporate business model to entertainment is killing many beloved shows when they are really still in their infancy and just barely finding their footing. It leaves the fans of these shows angry, hurt, and jaded to the next new original show these streaming services will release. We have seen it happen time after time and many viewers now fear getting into a new show that will inevitably be canceled seconds after being released. And how ironic is it for Amazon to create a show about appreciating and preserving the arts, then immediately going against the very essence of the show.

But we have seen recently that many people are craving unique storylines. People are tired of rehashed remakes and spin-offs. Yes, it is easy money. People will most likely tune in out of nostalgic curiosity, but most viewers are left disappointed or even angered by what their childhood fave has been boiled down to. However, we have recently seen this past spring just how excited people are to have fresh ideas with Ryan Coogler's new box-office hit, Sinners. People want new media that is handled with delicate care and love for the arts and Etoile does just that. From hiring real and well loved ballerinas, to showing what goes on behind the scenes when running a ballet company, to having well written and fully developed characters. Including an autistic character, Tobias Bell, who is some of the best autistic rep we have gotten in recent years. Many neurodivergent fans, including myself, love this show because we can see ourselves in characters like Tobias and Cheyenne. And at a time where our community is under attack it is important to show neurodivergent people can have full lives.

I would like to end this with a quote from the main etoile herself, Cheyenne Toussaint, “The world is hard, you know? With all the meanness, the cruelty. People today want to fight. They want to be angry, okay, but how do we express that anger? How do we make it into something better? How do we create hope when no one listens? Maybe they watch? Maybe you dance. You feel. You change the story. Dance can do that. Dance lets you float above it all. It lets you play in the clouds.” After watching this show and hearing Cheyenne say this, I signed up for a ballet class. Growing up I was obsessed with all the different Barbie ballerina movies, Dance Academy, etc. but I never got the opportunity to become a dancer myself. I always thought I was too old and I missed my chance to ever be a part of the dance world. But because of this show, at the age of 25 I am now living out that dream. I now get to play in the clouds and it has brought so much happiness to my life. And I have seen a similar sentiment from other fans of the show as well. People that did ballet growing up but gave it up, coming back and rediscovering their love for it. Dancers sharing their stories and pointing out many truths within the show. Those that work in the arts in some form praising small details that others may not have noticed. The arts are under attack right now. From budget cuts, quick cash grabs, and AI, the arts are in critical danger. A world without art and creative thinking is not a world I personally want  to be a part of. So we are asking Amazon MGM to do what the show is truly about, preserve art. Please let Etoile have its second season, because with a little bit of time and the right marketing this show could become another cult classic. 

If you have not yet watched the show, please do! It is a fun show, the characters are well written, the dancing scenes are truly stunning, and it has the similar quick humor as the Palladinos’ other beloved shows. Even if you have no prior interest in ballet, I think it is still worth the watch. Please sign and share this petition. The arts are so important and we can’t continue to let shows be canceled before they even get the chance to shine.