While Netflix continues to make major progress in the world of streaming television, Amazon’s still playing catch-up. However things looked as if they were about to tip in the company’s favor thanks to a new show from the creator of The X-Files, Chris Carter… but now it appears those dreams are no more.

Amazon has now opted to back-out of Carter’s planned new series, The After for unknown reasons, despite having previously given the show a full season order.

Amazon Studio executive Roy Price issued the following statement on the matter (via Variety):

We have decided to not move forward with The After. We would like to thank Chris Carter, the phenomenal cast, crew and producers for all their efforts.

On the upside for Amazon, at this point, all they’ve spent money on was The After‘s pilot episode and cost of pre-production on the debut season. No other episodes had begun filming, so chances are good whatever spawned this abrupt cancellation, it was coming down to the wire. That is, if Amazon hadn’t pulled the plug now, there would’ve been next to zero chance of them being able to later.

Some will recall the online retailer went so far as to give The After some time at last summer’s TCA conference, thus painting a seemingly clear picture of the series that would make it to viewers’ television screens; not to mention, the marketing advantage of Amazon being able to claim itself as the home of Chris Carter’s first new show since the end of The X-Files. It does make one wonder what could have led to this decision, taking those facts into account.

The most recent example of a new show being pulled after being ordered to series is Fox’s Hieroglyph, a fantasy drama( set in ancient Egypt) created by Pacific Rim writer Travis Beacham. Fox had only produced the pilot before canceling Hieroglyph (a la what happened with The After), meaning if they wanted to drop the series, it was now or never when they ultimately decided to. However, while Fox has to answer to advertisers and share holders that may have feared the idea of putting such an out there show on the air, the same can’t be said for Amazon.

Whatever the reasons ultimately turn out to be, one has to imagine this is about more than dollars and cents when money’s no factor in Amazon’s case. Certainly the X-Files fan base alone would have been enough to warrant a moving forward with the show if it really was just about profit potential.

The After is dead at this time; no doubt Chris Carter will have another project in the works soon enough.