With the recent slump in Netflix's subscriber numbers and an overall drop in the company's share value (via Business Insider), the company has been canceling shows at a much higher rate than usual. The latest crop to be cut includes Raising Dion, Archive 81, and Steve Carrell's Space Force (per TechRadar).
While Netflix became synonymous in its early days for bankrolling major productions that otherwise would have struggled in the traditional studio system, in recent years the studio has been criticized for welding the cancelation axe much too frequently, much to the dismay of audiences. Fans over on Reddit have been having their say on shows that they feel Netflix should never have canceled.
Sense8
One of the most popular Netlfix original shows, Sense8 was a sweeping multinational sci-fi drama created by Matrix creators Lana and Lilly Wachowski, as well as J. Michael Straczynski. The story centered on a group of eight individuals shattered across the globe who suddenly discover they are "sensates", meaning they are emotionally and mentally bonded to one another.
The series was praised for its positive messages of inclusivity, LGBTQ+ representation, and embrace of worldwide cultural differences. However, after the second season premiered in May 2017, Netflix announced the show had been canceled. This decision drew the ire of many fans, including Redditor justahalfing who stated "I'll never not be angry about them cancelling Sense8..." Netflix did eventually revive the series for a two-and-a-half-hour series finale in 2018, but this was an extremely rushed conclusion to a promising show.
Marco Polo
Netflix's first major period drama, debuting in 2014, Marco Polo followed the Venetian explorer's early years with Kublai Khan in China. The budget for Marco Polo was huge, becoming one of Netflix's most expensive shows of all time. However, the show never became the monster period hit Netflix wanted. After the second season premiered in 2016, Netflix announced that the show had been canceled.
While Marco Polo was not a universally loved show by any stretch of the imagination, it did have its fans, including Redditor DerpySauce who lamented the show's cancelation: "I was looking forward to the next season. Such a shame." While Netflix has been keen to bet big on shows with colossal budgets, they are just as keen to pull the plug when they deem them failures, especially in the current competitive streaming climate.
Altered Carbon
Based on the sci-fi novel by British author Richard K. Morgan, Altered Carbon was another big-budget sci-fi show produced by Netflix that failed to make a big splash for the streaming platform. The show centers on a world where consciousness can be transferred from body to body and follows former soldier Takeshi Kovacs (played by Joel Kinnaman in season 1, and Anthony Mackie in season 2) turned investigator.
While the show's two seasons received mixed to positive reviews across the board, Netflix pulled the plug shortly after the release of season 2. Fans of the big-budget sci-fi series were understandably upset with the streaming platform for the cancelation of the show, something Redditor personwriter felt acutely: "I felt this HARD when Altered Carbon was canceled."
Cowboy Bebop
One of the most recent casualties of Netflix's streak of cancelations, and another sci-fi show, Cowboy Bebop, starring John Cho in the central role was canceled a mere three weeks after the first season dropped. A live-action adaptation of the 1998 Japanese anime of the same name, Cowboy Bebop centers on a group of space bounty hunters chasing down intergalactic criminals in the year 2171.
While the series was not a critical darling of the critics, it did have a passionate fanbase that bemoaned Netflix's decision to cancel it so soon after the first season premiered. Redditor tofuDragon is one of many Reddit fans of the series who expressed frustration with Netflix for canceling the series, particularly after the tease of one of Cowboy Bebop's most powerful characters at the end of season 1: "Finding out that they cancelled it so quickly felt like a punch to the gut. They were just getting started!"
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
A prequel to the 1982 Jim Henson cult classic, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance arrived on Netflix in 2019 to much critical acclaim. With its adherence to the dying art of puppetry, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance was a brave choice for Netflix to pursue. The original 1982 movie is not as well known as some of Jim Henson classics, such as the Labyrinth starring David Bowie, and yet this move seemed to pay dividends in the form of a well-received first-season revival.
With top voice talent including Taron Egerton, Mark Hamill, Benedict Wong, and Anya Taylor-Joy, among many others, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a charming revival of the Jim Henson puppet tradition. Despite this, Netflix chose to axe the show little more than a month after the first season launched, something which many Redditors, including BastionDar, are gutted about: "I was ticked when I learned that cancelled the Dark Crystal. That was a great show. I felt it carried the spirit of the original movie quite well".
GLOW
One of Netflix's most critically acclaimed series to date to receive its marching orders, GLOW centered on fictionalized events surrounding the real-life phenomena of women's professional wrestling in the 1980s. Running for three seasons between 2017 and 2019, GLOW was meant to end with its fourth and final season, but Netflix canceled the show shortly into the production of season 4.
Season four began filming shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, and with uncertainty around when the production could resume, Netflix made the decision to cancel the show mid-production; something which Redditors like tomsprigs were very disappointed by: "So sad about Glow."
Mindhunter
This one may be a cheat, since technically Netflix has not canceled the series outright. Instead, they have put it on indefinite hold since 2019. The Joe Penhall-created crime series, Mindhunter, based on the book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, follows two FBI agents as they travel around America profiling many famous serial killers, such as Charles Manson and Ed Kemper.
The decision to put the show on an indefinite hiatus seems to be down to frequent episode director and executive producer David Fincher pursuing other projects. Although, the director did confirm that the high cost of the series for Netflix did play a part in this decision (via Vulture), so maybe it's just a matter of time before Netflix cancel this crime drama as well. The decision to cancel excellent shows like Mindhunter is one of the main reason fans like Redditor goonertay think Netflix is losing subscribers at an alarming rate: "Its the cancellation of shows that must be the number one reason for cancelled subscriptions. Great shows like Archive 81, the OA and Mindhunter all cancelled..."
Tuca & Bertie
Another abnormality on this list as Tuca & Bertie has been saved from Netflix's cancelation hammer by Adult Swim, who picked up the show for renewal after Netflix canceled it post-season one. Despite sharing the same animation style as Bojack Horseman, one of Netflix's best comedy series, Tuca & Bertie is its own anarchic entity.
The cancelation of Tuca & Bertie was met with widespread criticism of Netflix, and its algorithm, from fans of the series, including Redditors like leslieknopeirl, who stated "Tuca and Bertie was the other show whose cancelation was particularly brutal to me, although there are quite a few others." There is solace for fans of the series in that Adult Swim picked up the series following a vocal fan campaign.
The OA
One of Netflix's first big forays into the sci-fi space, The OA debuted in 2016 to much critical and fan acclaim. Mixing elements of fantasy, sci-fi, and the supernatural into one, The OA was an amalgamation of different genres. Centered on the titular OA (Original Angel) Prairie Johnson, who resurfaces after seven years with miraculous powers and abilities, The OA ran for two seasons before Netflix canceled it in 2019.
Despite the cliffhanger ending, and strong fan movement to resurrect the series, Netflix has made no moves in reviving the series for a third season. As of this moment, no other network has offered to revive the series, leaving it unlikely fans, such as Redditor gabyrelda will get any closure: "Loved Dark Crystal, the OA and GLOW. All cancelled...".
The Get Down
Co-created by bombastic filmmaker Baz Lurhmann (Romeo + Juliet, The Great Gatsby), The Get Down was one of Netflix's most expensive productions to date. The series is set in the Bronx area of New York City during the flourish of R&B and disco in the 1970s, and stars Justice Smith, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Shameik Moore, along with a host of others. The Get Down was canceled after its first season finished airing its second part in 2017, leaving fans like Redditor Sneakerislife without a second season, despite it being "easily one of the better shows [they've] seen in a while.
While Netflix gave no official reason regarding the show's cancelation, it can be assumed the huge budget played a role. Since its inception, it's been increasingly difficult to gauge what Netflix constitutes a success or a failure, and many great shows like The Get Down have taken a hit as a result.