Streaming services don’t generally reveal official viewing figures for any original movie or TV show unless it’s been an unqualified success, and the companies are even more reticent when it comes to confirming how much the projects in question cost to produce, so it’s hard to get a handle on Netflix‘s methodology or reasoning in regards to cancellations and renewals.
The platform ended an exponentially higher number of shows than usual last year, partly due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but some of them made a lot more sense than others. Altered Carbon was clearly a very expensive series to produce that never captured the zeitgeist in the way many were expecting, but something like GLOW was a critically acclaimed favorite that scored some awards season recognition, and a 1980s-set comedy about female wrestlers surely wouldn’t have broken the bank.
More recently, the axe has been wielded on supernatural Sherlock Holmes spinoff The Irregulars, despite the fact that it was a regular presence on the most-watched list after being released, and clearly spawned a loyal fanbase given the reactions to the news. In fact, so far this year, Netflix have canceled six different shows, and you can check out the full list below.
- La Révolution
- Monarca
- The Duchess
- The Irregulars
- Special (After Season 2)
- The Last Kingdom (After Season 5)
Admittedly, none of the aforementioned series are regarded as jewels in the Netflix crown, and The Irregulars is easily the most surprising cancellation of the bunch after it spent a combined total of 45 days in the Top 10 in the United States and United Kingdom alone. The numbers might not be quite as high as they were last year, then, but you can guarantee that there are going to be many more shows canned by the time 2021 is over.