Raise your hands if you’ve been personally victimized by Netflix canceling your favorite show too soon. We all know how notorious Netflix is regarding their original series, where some of them don’t even make it past the first season without getting axed. And it’s strange because half of the time, these series were incredibly loved and had a dedicated fandom backing them.
It feels like Netflix keeps trying to recreate instant huge hits like Stranger Things. But whatever show they release that doesn’t cut it? It gets left for dead. And here is a list of some of the most shocking ones.
1. I Am Not Okay With This
You wouldn’t expect a show like I Am Not Okay With This to be canceled so early, considering it had all the hallmarks of a hit. It was made by the same people that did Stranger Things and the premise, of a super-powered teen going through high school, was solid. It was based on a popular comic book series of the same name, so it even had a pre-established fanbase. And when it premiered, it was easily in the Netflix Top 10.
So, what could kill a popular Netflix series in 2020? The Pandemic, of course! Despite doing great numbers and retaining the viewership of a wide audience, I Am Not Okay With This was canceled right after the first season, likely due to production hiatuses.
2. The OA
Netflix has done several Sci-fi shows, but barely any have stuck around the past couple of seasons. But people held out hope for The OA, a psychological thriller series that followed Prairie Johnson, who had been missing for the past 7 years. Now, she was back and cured of her blindness, too. Between all the scars and not cooperating with the FBI, it felt like the truth of Prairie’s disappearance would remain a secret. Her unlikely allies in said truth? Some high schoolers and their teacher.
The OA was hitting all the high notes, but its second season appeared to be its last. The shock of not getting renewed for a third season was massive, even amongst cast members who fully believed in its potential.
3. One Day At A Time
One Day At A Time has such a peculiar story regarding its continuity. A family sitcom, One Day At A Time was comedic and fun but unafraid of dealing with more serious themes. The trials of single parenthood, sobriety struggles, and even veteran PTSD were easily explored while keeping the tone light and hopeful. To a lot of people, One Day At A Time was a breath of fresh air, because its humor didn’t feel mean-spirited.
So, to have it be canceled at a very important cliffhanger in its third season? It was the worst. But it did get picked up by Pop, a Paramount subsidiary. However, the Pandemic struck again and Pop dropped the series too, after airing 6 episodes.
4. Everything Sucks!
Everything Sucks! Is prime nostalgia bait. The 90s setting of an AV club in a small town with the ‘Boring High School’? This was tailor-made for millennials who wanted to relive their awkward days. But the thing about Everything Sucks! Is that it delivered on a coming-of-age story that felt relatable and authentic. The characters were funny, and their explorations of mental health and sexuality were inquisitive, especially during a time when it was frowned upon.
Despite being one of those rare shows that only got better with each episode, Everything Sucks! was canceled pretty much immediately after the first season. Even though there was a lot of potential, Netflix didn’t think it was worth it.
5. Lockwood & Co.
Based on a popular novel series, Lockwood & Co. has a real ‘Mystery Gang’ vibe to it. Set in Britain, it follows three teenagers, Lucy, Anthony, and George, who form a ghost-busting agency and decide to tackle the spiritual mysteries going around town. The adults call them if they are being haunted, and Lockwood & Co. delivers.
But apparently, the series didn’t keep up with the audience numbers that Netflix wanted. And so, despite hitting Top 20 in its premiere, it was canceled pretty soon after.
6. The Get Down
The Get Down was the stuff of dreams. It was a period piece about the 70s and the rise of Disco and Hip-Hop, all created under the direction of Baz Luhrmann. And he spent over a decade trying to get it pitched. Set in The Bronx, it followed the lives of the people living there, with their ambitions and passions clashing.
And perhaps ambition is exactly what killed The Get Down. Because it was such a heavy investment, The Get Down had a lot of expectations pinned onto it. Expectations that it couldn’t meet. And that’s exactly why it was canceled after the first season.
7. Daybreak
Daybreak had such major Zombiland vibes, and that alone could’ve carried it forward. Based on the graphic novel by Brian Ralph, it starred Josh Wheeler, a 17-year-old searching for his girlfriend, Sam Dean, after a Zombie Apocalypse killed all adults in the world. Together with Wesley, a samurai, and Angelica, a baby pyromaniac, he has to fight not only hordes of zombies but these ‘tribes’ made up of cheerleaders, jocks, etc.
There was potential here for a dark teen comedy. However, it wasn’t realized to the extent it could’ve been, and Netflix decided not to renew Daybreak for another season.
8. Cowboy Bebop
I know people had a lot to say about the live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, but it was still pretty fun. Maybe it wasn’t a play-by-play of the iconic anime, but John Cho as Spike was genuinely good. The parts with him and Mustafa Shakir as Jet Black were honestly worth the hype. And the music had the original composers backing it. It was experimental, and it could’ve worked.
But it didn’t. It’s not hard to see why Cowboy Bebop was canceled after the first season, with the negative reviews it got upon streaming. But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t have gotten better in the second season.
9. The Midnight Club
Who doesn’t love a good horror anthology? The Midnight Club was a unique thriller about a group of terminally ill young adults who’d get together every night at midnight and tell each other scary stories. But the rule was that if one of them died, they’d come back as a spirit and give the others a sign. And the first season on a spine-chilling cliffhanger, leaving room for more.
And that was the worst decision because Netflix did not renew The Midnight Club for a second season. The creators wanted to build up the story more and not rush things, hence the cliffhanger. But sadly, it was not meant to be.
10. The Society
The Society is a dystopian tale in which a group of teenagers are left to fend for themselves after everyone in their town has just risen and disappeared. Because of how things have gone down, they lack necessities that could help them connect with the outside world, such as cell phones or the internet. And it’s not like they can go anywhere, considering a band of thick forest is now cutting them off. So, a new society of rules has to be created.
Another interesting series, The Society, quickly gained an established fanbase. And because of this, it even got confirmed for a second season. Yet again, the pandemic killed any hope of that happening. Still, fans are trying to bring the series back, but to no avail.
11. Raising Dion
Honestly, the idea of a single mum raising a superpowered kid is pretty intriguing. I mean, the dad was played by Michael B. Jordan, so of course, fans were going to be tuning into Raising Dion anyway. But it helped that the actual plot was charming and exciting at the same time. Raising Dion is about mum Nicole trying to raise her son, Dion, who has suddenly started showcasing superpowers. It’s up to her to provide him with a normal life while protecting him from those who might want to exploit him.
Raising Dion was brilliant. But it was also expensive. And considering Netflix had just lost around a billion dollars of investment at the time, they probably couldn’t afford to keep making it. So, Raising Dion was canceled after the second season.
12. The Irregulars
The Irregulars was such a great alternative look into the world of Sherlock Holmes because Sherlock himself wasn’t the main star of the series. It was the ragtag group of orphans that roamed the streets and were Sherlock’s secret spy network. But The Irregulars took it one step forward and made the Holmes brothers not the savior but the villains of the story instead. And in a sea of Sherlock adaptations, The Irregulars felt like a breath of fresh air.
However, despite its promise as a mainstay series, The Irregulars never got a second season. There were talks of a renewal, but they never panned out.
13. Warrior Nun
What business did Netflix have canceling the only female-led sapphic adventure they had? Warrior Nun follows the story of Ava Silva, a disabled 19-year-old orphan who wakes up in a morgue with a cross on her back and superpowers that make no sense. It turns out that divine miracles like that come with a cost, and now she must join the Order of the Cruciform Sword, an ancient sisterhood of nuns trained to fight Demons from Hell. Ava has a new lease on life, sure, but how long can she survive?
Turns out, just under 2 seasons because Warrior Nun was not renewed for a third. However, fans got Netflix to return the series as a movie trilogy instead. So, a win is a win.
14. First Kill
At this point, Netflix is just homophobic. Because First Kill had such a good premise. Featuring a teenage vampire coming-of-age, First Kill follows Juliette Fairmont and her journey to get her ‘first kill’ so that she can fully transition into adulthood as a ‘Legacy Vampire.’ But Juliette doesn’t like killing, and instead, she starts falling for a human named Calliope Burns. However, Calliope herself belongs to a family of Monster Hunters, and she also needs a first kill to join the Guild.
It has supernatural themes, and an enemies-to-lovers romance trope, making it easily binge-able. So, it was no wonder that fans were shocked when Netflix canceled the series with no notice as to why.
15. The Brothers Sun
Michelle Yeoh instantly adds allure to anything she stars in. She is an Academy Award winner for a reason. So, when The Brothers Sun came out on Netflix with minimal promotion, it was odd. Why was it not being promoted more? It’s a story involving two brothers separated from each other; where one lives the high life of a Taiwanese Mafia leader, and the other is just Some Guy in California. But Michelle Yeoh’s character as their mother is what ties the two together, going from doting to stone cold in a heartbeat.
The fight scenes alone are so action-packed, so the plot being good was simply a bonus. Kung-fu movies are such a guilty pleasure which is why it made no sense that Netflix put this series out with 0 fanfare, and then canceled it just as quietly.
16. GLOW
GLOW is one of the reasons to never trust Netflix ‘announcing’ they’ll renew a series. The series had it all: Glitter, grit, and a hilarious lead in Allison Brie. Set in the 1980s, the show is based on a real syndicated Professional Women’s Wrestling league known as the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, or GLOW. It explored both how gimmicky it all was while still staying true to the struggles of the time. It has all the stereotypes you expect, which is what made it work so well.
Seeing GLOW’s female-heavy cast ham it up on screen was a delight. So, things were looking good, despite the 2020 Pandemic shutting production down early. Netflix assured fans of a fourth and final season but then rescinded that announcement, leaving GLOW on a permanent hiatus.
17. Sense8
When Sense8 came out, it was all the rage. Sense8 followed a group of teenagers from around the world who were sensates and could not only communicate with each other but also possess each other’s bodies. But their unique connection puts a target on their back, and they are pursued by the BPO, a.k.a. The Biologic Preservation Organization. And so, the kids have to learn how to work together while working on why and how they ended up the way they did.
Sense8 worked because of its unique premise, where it explored each member of the group and their struggles, their identities, etc. But that wasn’t enough to keep Netflix investing in its heavy budget. However, fan demands did bring Sense8 back for a two-part conclusion, providing a definitive end to the series.
18. 1899
Honestly, 1899 being canceled made no sense. It was created by the same people as Dark. People who binged Dark for its trippy and frightening visuals immediately tuned into 1899 due to a similar vibe. It was a mind-bending mystery set on top of a Titanic-esque cruise, and it came across a literal ghost ship. 1899 was nightmare-inducing, perfect for those who love being left a little unsettled, and the ending of the first season left so many questions unanswered.
However, Netflix did not give the second season. Because not even two months in, 1899 was canceled. It was lauded as being the most expensive German show of all time. So, if it wasn’t pulling the numbers Netflix wanted, then a second season would be a waste.
19. Santa Clarita Diet
Santa Clarita Diet was a work of comedic genius. It starred Drew Barrymore as Sheila, a suburban mom who turned into a half-zombie in the middle of sunny California and has to hide her nature. And Timothy Olyphant played her doting, well-meaning husband that is just trying to keep the family together by providing for his now primal monster of a wife. It was gory, while still having this overall absurd sitcom feel.
And just like how Sheila consumed other people, Netflix ate up any chance of Santa Clarita Diet continuing past the third season. Safe to say, fans were left heartbroken, especially considering how the last season ended on a cliffhanger.
20. Shadow And Bone
The Grishverse already had a huge fandom backing, thanks to the success of the original novels. So, when a Shadow And Bone adaptation was announced, people were so hyped. And the Netflix series was pretty good. It had solid pacing, the characterizations were on point, and Shadow And Bone was on its way to becoming a fantasy mainstay on the streaming site, much like The Witcher. There were even talks of a Six Of Crows spin-off.
So, when Netflix unexpectedly pulled the plug on the Grishaverse? All hell broke loose. With more than 50 million views, it made no sense why Shadow And Bone was axed. Probably why the fans are still rallying to bring the series back.
21. Anne With An E
Anne Of Green Gable was such a beloved book series. Netflix’s adaptation of the classic novel Anne With An E was extremely well-received. The way the series tackled harsh topics of child abandonment, mental health, and trauma was such a fresh take while still being very true to Lucy Maud Montgomery’s vision. And people liked that, as the series went on to be critically acclaimed. And showrunner Amybeth McNulty was the perfect Anne Shirley
So, why did Netflix cancel Anne With An E? It’s anyone’s guess. Sure, it tied some loose ends together, like with Anne and Gilbert. But the story of Anne Of Green Gables went far beyond that, with the other novels in the series that could’ve been adapted into more seasons.
22. Mindhunter
Mindhunter was easily one of Netflix’s most beloved series. Based on a true crime book, it already had a following that only increased when the Netflix series came out. Considering the star-studded cast and brilliant story of two FBI agents trying to dissect the psychology of serial killers, it was easy to see why Mindhunter skyrocketed to Netflix’s Top 10. Each episode was tense but with an extremely satisfying payoff that people couldn’t get enough of.
Surprisingly, Mindhunter getting canceled wasn’t just Netflix’s decision. It was an expensive series, sure, but it was actually the main lead, Nicholas Fincher, exiting the series to pursue different projects that were the nail in the coffin for the show.
The 12 Most Genius Movie Plot Holes You Never Knew Were Actually Explained
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures.
Friends (and strangers) trying to sound smart by pointing out a movie mistake that isn’t really a mistake?
We found the best answers to “What infamous movie plot hole has an explanation that you’re tired of explaining?” with these 12 movie plot holes that actually have perfectly good explanations.
The 12 Most Genius Movie Plot Holes You Never Knew Were Actually Explained