{
  "id": 2804119,
  "title": "Naomi Watts Starred In A Sci-Fi Series That Was Canceled After Just Two Episodes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/naomi-watts-starred-in-a-sci-fi-series-that-was-canceled-after-just",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-23T12:12:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TVLine",
    "slug": "tvline",
    "url": "https://www.tvline.com/2234528/naomi-watts-star-sci-fi-series-sleepwalkers-canceled/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Naomi Watts starred in an NBC sci-fi series called Sleepwalkers, which was canceled after only two episodes aired in the United States. The series, created by Stephen Kronish and David S. Goyer, premiered on November 1, 1997 as part of NBC's Saturday night programming block Thrillogy. Watts portrayed Kate Russell, a dream interpreter and psychologist who utilized advanced technology to enter people's dreamscapes and assist them in confronting their subconscious fears. Although NBC was interested in the concept, the network felt the show needed more depth and cohesion between the creators' artistic styles. This led to ongoing conflicts between the show's creators and NBC executives, who were uncertain if audiences would embrace the surreal elements of the series. Despite producing nine episodes, only two went on-air and received poor Nielsen ratings. The remaining episodes aired on the West Coast the following year, but never reached the United States. Thrillogy, NBC's Saturday night block, initially featured three shows: The Pretender, Profiler, and Dark Skies, with Sleepwalkers serving as the network's answer to The X-Files. Dark Skies was canceled before its first season ended, and NBC attempted to replace it with Sleepwalkers, but both attempts were unsuccessful. After Sleepwalkers' cancellation, NBC tried again in 2000 with a new show called The Others, but ultimately abandoned the entire Thrillogy block by the end of that year.",
  "summary": "Before she became a movie star, Naomi Watts starred in an NBC science fiction series that was swiftly axed due to terrible ratings.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}