David Farnor | On 10, Dec 2022

Netflix has cancelled The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself after just one season.

Based on the Half Bad books by Sally Green, the series follows 16-year-old Nathan, the illegitimate son of the world’s most dangerous witch. Fearing he will follow in his father’s footsteps, Nathan is closely monitored throughout his childhood. As the boundaries between “good” and “bad” fray, Nathan – along with mischievous Annalise and charismatic Gabriel – will soon discover who he truly is.

Adapted for the screen by Joe Barton (The Lazarus Project, Giri/Haji), the series stars Jay Lycurgo (Titans, The Batman, I May Destroy You), alongside Nadia Parkes (Domina, Starstruck) and Emilien Vekemans (Transferts), along with Jesper Jones, Paul Ready (Motherland, The Terror), David Gyasi (Carnival Row, Troy: Fall of a City), Kerry Fox (Conversations with Friends, Last Tango in Halifax), Liz White (Unforgotten, Brexit: The Uncivil War) and Roísín Murphy in her drama debut.

The show premiered at the end of October, just in time for Halloween binge viewing. Now, though, just over a month after its debut, the streamer has decided not to renew the project. The move comes at a time when Netflix is increasingly cancelling projects that do not get the traction it is looking for among viewers, especially as the company faces growing headwinds such as competition from rival platforms, rising production costs and customers looking to tighten their budgets amid a cost of living crisis.

Producers Imaginarium tweeted: “Half Bad is a show we are incredibly proud of, which gained stellar reviews, along with a fiercely loyal global fanbase. While we are disappointed not to continue the story, we have loved working with such a talented cast and crew on bringing our beloved show to life.”

Barton added: “Very proud of it and really liked the people I got to make it with. Sorry not to be able to finish the story.”

 

Watch: Netflix unveils trailer for The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself

14th October 2022

“There have always been witches in the world…” That’s the sound of Joe Barton (The Lazarus Project, Giri/Haji) entering supernatural territory for his latest TV series, and a new trailer gives us a first look at The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself.

Based on the Half Bad books by Sally Green, the series follows 16-year-old Nathan, the illegitimate son of the world’s most dangerous witch. Fearing he will follow in his father’s footsteps, Nathan is closely monitored throughout his childhood. As the boundaries between “good” and “bad” fray, Nathan – along with mischievous Annalise and charismatic Gabriel – will soon discover who he truly is.

Leading the cast is Jay Lycurgo (Titans, The Batman, I May Destroy You), alongside Nadia Parkes (Domina, Starstruck) and Emilien Vekemans (Transferts). They are joined by Isobel Jesper Jones, Paul Ready (Motherland, The Terror), David Gyasi (Carnival Row, Troy: Fall of a City), Kerry Fox (Conversations with Friends, Last Tango in Halifax) and Liz White (Unforgotten, Brexit: The Uncivil War), Karen Connell (Vikings), Fehinti Balogun (I May Destroy You, Dune), Misia Butler (Kiss Me First) and Roísín Murphy making her drama debut.

You can see them all in action – accompanied by a score by Let’s Eat Grandma – on 28th October, when the series premieres on Netflix. Here’s the trailer:

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