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The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ended its illustrious run on Amazon after five seasons. During its tenure on the streaming platform, the series amassed multiple awards. In many ways, it was held up as the epitome of success in the streaming world. When the announcement was made that the series would end, fans assumed creator Amy Sherman-Palladino was ready to call it a day. As it turns out, she was not. In a recent interview, the famed showrunner blamed “the orcs” for the end of Maisel. She was clearly referring to the production of Rings of Power. The series, the most expensive show ever made, premiered in September 2022 on Amazon. 

Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino appear at the Primetime Emmy Awards together. Amy Sherman-Palladino is the creator of 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'
Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino | Evans Vestal Ward/NBC via Getty Images
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Amy Sherman-Palladino blames the orcs for the end of ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ 

If you were wondering why The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ended after five seasons, you don’t have to wonder anymore. Showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino is happy to talk about what happened, and she’s made it clear it absolutely was not her idea. Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino would have been glad to continue. 

The famed show creator appeared on WTF With Marc Maron this week. She discussed the end of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and touched on exactly why she thinks the series ended. Sherman-Palladino quipped that there were a lot of “orcs to pay for” before doubling down and insisting there were “a lot of orcs running around” at Amazon.

She went on to explain that The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was expensive to produce by season 5. Amazon shifted its money toward other projects, according to the show creator. Her mention of orcs makes it clear that much of that money was likely shifted toward Rings of Power, the Lord of the Rings series that features plenty of orcs. 

Amazon paid $250 million for just the rights to produce Rings of Power. So it’s no surprise the streaming service wants to make the most of its investment. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel likely had a growing budget to pay for the period costumes and set designs. On top of that, stars like Rachel Brosnahan and Tony Shalhoub recently received significant pay increases.

What is next for Amy Sherman-Palladino?

While The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has ended, Amy Sherman-Palladino and Palladino’s relationship with Amazon isn’t over. Signed to a contract with the streaming provider, Sherman-Palladino and her husband and writing partner, Dan Palladino, are already on to their next project. 

In April 2023, Amazon ordered two seasons of Étoile, a dance drama. The series will focus on two dance companies as they fight to save themselves in the ever-changing dance world. This will be Sherman-Palladino’s second dance-themed series. She previously created Bunheads. The series ran for just one season. 

In a press release obtained by Deadline, Amazon touched on their enduring relationship with Sherman-Palladino and Palladino. Regarding the upcoming project, they said, “We’re incredibly excited for Étoile, as we have no doubt Amy, Dan, and their team will continue to produce incredible and impactful event television that we can’t wait to share with our global Prime audiences.”

Longtime fans also hope a second Gilmore Girls revival could be in the works. The first revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, premiered on Netflix in 2016. 

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