As a certified Netflix connoisseur (yes, I gave myself that title), I have seen the rise and fall of Netflix shows over the past several years that were canceled far too soon.
Not every Netflix show that is canceled comes to an end too soon, of course. Some Netflix shows just aren’t good enough to pick up a renewal for another season. Others, though, definitely should not have been canceled when they were.
There are a lot of examples of this throughout Netflix’s decade-plus of making original shows. Some of those shows lasted a few seasons only to be left unfinished at the end. There are also a few one-season masterpieces that couldn’t secure season 2 renewals.
After taking a look back, I picked four Netflix shows that were taken from us too soon, starting with The Get Down.
The Get Down
I will never, ever, ever forgive Netflix for canceling The Get Down. This series, which ran for one season and was split into two parts in 2016 and 2017, followed the rise of hip-hop and disco music back in the 1970s, mainly in the Bronx in New York City. The main character is Zeke Figueroa (Justice Smith), a young poet who dreams of becoming a successful music artist.
This show slapped. I know some people say this ironically or as a joke, but I genuinely mean it, and I’m saying it with my whole chest.
This was one of the first Netflix shows that I truly felt a serious connection with because of the music, and the story itself was great. It was a good mix of music history and a fictional plot that kept you locked in from the first episode. And don’t even get me started about the music — I still listen to some of it now, years after it was canceled. No wonder the show was so expensive.
It was also a series I connected with a lot because my dad literally grew up in New York City during this time.
Shadow and Bone
Is Netflix the best at adapting some fantasy novels? The jury is still out. Some of them are great, and some are sort of “bleh,” like The Witcher. But you want to know which series I really loved? Shadow and Bone.
Based on the book universe of Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, this series was released in 2021 and told the story of an orphan who had a key magical power that no one else had, which could save the world from darkness, and only she could find a way to help her people.
I don’t even want to get into all the plot points of this show because we would be here for hours. But trust me when I say this: if you want a fantasy series, this is it.
The magic system is unique, the characters are incredible, and the tension is sizzling. The series only lasted for two seasons, and I still don’t quite understand why, because even though Netflix said the 2023 strike with the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA was a big reason, they could have brought it back. I know it. It deserved a third season.
Mindhunter
Oh, you’ve heard this song and dance, but there’s a reason why Mindhunter was so beloved. Released in 2017 and based on the nonfiction book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker, this series was executive produced by David Fincher and tells the story of the founding of the Behavioral Science Unit in the FBI and how criminal profiling came to be.
It’s a really interesting psychological crime thriller, featuring fantastic performances from Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, and Anna Torv as the lead actors. It’s almost like looking into the minds of killers to understand why they do what they do and how that knowledge can help the justice system solve more cases.
There are two seasons, and there was potential for a third, but apparently the show was too expensive, according to Fincher in an interview (via Forbes), and that was too much for Netflix when the audience wasn’t as big as they deemed it to be. And that’s just a shame.
For years, people have been desperately craving another season of this series because it was so well done. And honestly, Netflix has buckets of money. I don’t pretend to know the ins and outs of production or what everything stuff costs with this show, but I feel like this series could easily be renewed.
I Am Not Okay With This
One last show that I have to put on this list, regardless of what anyone thinks, is I Am Not Okay With This. And I won’t be okay with this if you haven’t watched this one-season show. It’s based on the graphic novel of the same name by Charles Forsman.
Released in 2020 and starring Sophia Lillis as Sydney Novak, I Am Not Okay With This is an amazing coming-of-age black comedy that’s also mixed into the world of people with powers. The series follows Sydney when she finds out she has intense psychokinetic powers, which happen to be triggered by emotions. But the caveat? She feels everything. So her powers are everywhere and causing drama left and right.
It feels like we live in a world stuffed to the brim with superhero shows, so this one was a refreshing take. Lillis brings a charm that most other superhero shows don’t have, but the series itself is more than that. It’s quirky and offers bold themes of family, self-acceptance, and so much more. And for that, I have to recommend it, even if there’s only one season. I’ll never forgive Netflix for canceling due to “COVID-related reasons.”
If you want to watch any of these amazing shows, check them out on Netflix.
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