From SlashFilm · Witney Seibold · · 1m
Why Ponies Was Canceled At Peacock
Peacock cancels spy comedy 'Ponies' after low ratings.
In brief
Peacock cancels spy comedy 'Ponies' after low ratings. Peacock canceled 'Ponies' due to low viewership despite critical acclaim. Originally reported by SlashFilm.
Ponies canceled
Peacock canceled the spy comedy series 'Ponies' after its brief eight-episode season on January 15, 2026.
Cold War spy setting
The series set in 1977 features Haley Lu Richardson and Emilia Clarke as secretaries for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow who become CIA operatives after their husbands are killed.
Low ratings cited
According to Deadline, Peacock canceled 'Ponies' for low ratings as it did not appear in the top-10 Nielsen-rated streaming shows.
Critical acclaim
The show earned a 94% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with praise for Haley Lu Richardson and Emilia Clarke's chemistry.
Review highlights
The Guardian's Lucy Mangan called 'Ponies' 'weirdly joyful and bizarrely endearing' with no traditional spy tropes.
“I don't know what it is, but I like it.”
Why it failed
The show's 1977 setting and Peacock's low subscription rates likely kept viewers away, ending its run after eight episodes.
The short version
Peacock canceled 'Ponies' due to low viewership despite critical acclaim.
