Why the American adaptation of The Returned struggled to escape its French predecessor's shadow

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When A&E launched its supernatural drama The Returned in 2015, it arrived with high expectations as an adaptation of the acclaimed 2012 French series Les Revenants. Despite a strong premise featuring residents in a small town encountering long-dead loved ones, the show faced immediate comparisons to its superior original source material.

The development of the American version was a complex journey that began in May 2013 under the working title They Came Back. Initially spearheaded by Paul Abbott and FremantleMedia, the project shifted gears by September 2013 when Abbott departed and A&E took over development. By April 2014, the network committed to a 10-episode first season. The series, which was filmed in Squamish, British Columbia, to represent the fictional town of Caldwell, Washington, finally premiered on March 9, 2015. Netflix secured global distribution rights, airing episodes internationally shortly after their domestic broadcast.

The show featured a notable cast, including Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Rowan Blackshaw, and was executive produced by Carlton Cuse and Raelle Tucker. Cuse, who developed the series, aimed to capture the eerie atmosphere of the original. However, the American adaptation struggled to distinguish itself. Critics generally viewed it as a competent but secondary effort. While the show maintained a 67% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 67 out of 100 on Metacritic, the critical consensus frequently noted that it remained overshadowed by the French original.

The premise of people returning from the dead was a popular theme in television during this period. The Returned shared this narrative space with other series like the 2014–15 show Resurrection, the Australian series Glitch, and the 2025 series Revival. Ultimately, the American version of The Returned failed to secure a long-term future. A&E cancelled the series on June 15, 2015, after just one season. While it managed to retain enough character drama to satisfy genre enthusiasts, it could not overcome the creative hurdle of being a direct adaptation of a widely celebrated international hit.

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