Netflix is infamous for canceling shows prematurely. Some of the most well-known casualties include “Julie and the Phantoms” and “Lockwood & Co.” However, Netflix isn’t the only culprit, nor is it the biggest one. Other streaming services like Disney+ and HBO Max have canceled a large number of their shows in the past few years, leaving viewers grieving what could’ve been.
Cancellations can be confusing. The line between “canceled” and “concluded” can blur, and the reasoning behind the decision is often contested. Usually, networks cut shows due to low viewership, revenue and/or reviews, usually to the protest of all those involved in their creation.
COVID-19 led to the deterioration of the production of over 100 TV shows in the U.S., according to Wikipedia. They were either suspended, postponed or otherwise modified; it was the largest disturbance of American television since the Writers Guild of America strike in 2007-2008.
The 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike had a similar effect on TV, canceling and postponing movies like “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,” whose release date was pushed back from March and isn’t expected to be released for over a year.
A cancellation is normally final, but there are shows that other networks have picked up, retooled or rebooted. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” was bought by NBC 31 hours after Fox announced it was canceled.
This hope leads to large-scale pushback to bring back viewers’ favorite shows. After the cancellation of “Anne with an E,” petitions and billboards flooded social media.
Kiera Crowe ’26 still feels very strongly about the cancellation of “Anne with an E,” as well as “Julie and the Phantoms.” As an avid watcher of both shows, the announcement of their cancellations took her by surprise.
Crowe doesn’t agree with either cancellation at all. “I think they’re better than a lot of other Netflix originals [that are still going],” she said.
Executive Producer Kenny Ortega confirmed Netflix’s cancellation of “Julie and the Phantoms” in Dec. 2021 after one season, a little over a year after airing in Sept. 2020. The show was a musical comedy based on the Brazilian TV show “Julie e os Fantasmos” that focuses on Julie and her misadventures with a ghost band. Although it had a great reception, it was canceled due to low viewership in the first 4 weeks after airing, garnering an older demographic than expected and COVID.
“Anne with an E” was canceled shortly after the third season came out in late 2019. It was canceled due to its network, CBC, no longer wanting to do co-productions with Netflix. “Anne with an E” was a book to show adaptation based on the book series “Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The series starts with an orphan named Anne who is taken to live with an elderly brother and sister. The plot revolves around her coming-of-age story in a quaint little town.
Another show Netflix stopped after just one season is “Lockwood & Co.” Aya Mohamednour ’27 started watching it before it was canceled and enjoyed it, enough to read the book series the show was based on. “I was bored and just wanted something to watch on Netflix, and then I just fell in love with it,” she said. She found out it was canceled through TikTok one morning. She was very saddened by the news.
“Lockwood and Co.” was canceled after only one season due to viewing numbers not meeting the requirements for a second season. It is based on the book series “Lockwood & Co.” by Jonathan Stroud. The book is told from the perspective of Lucy Carlyle, a psychic in a world where ghosts have been roaming around England for years. The books follow her journey of fighting off the spirits.
The supernatural also comes to life in “Inside Job,” another Netflix one-season-wonder that follows shadow governments and conspiracy theories. Luke Reimer ’27 is a big fan and has been since before its cancellation. They felt blindsided by the news, especially because it had been renewed for season two when the cancellation was announced. “They said, ‘We’re doing a second season,’ and then, out of the blue, Netflix just canceled it. And they left it on a cliffhanger too…It was frustrating,” he said.
“Inside Job” is a show created by Shion Takeuchi. After making its debut in 2021, the show did well and was renewed in June 2022 for a second season. In Jan. 2023, Netflix canceled the renewal due to analytics and the high cost of producing animated shows.
Although these shows were cut short, they still made a lasting mark on viewers; they’re left with disappointment but still happy that it happened at all. All shows are bound to end at some point, and canceled shows are a perfect lesson to enjoy everything while it lasts.
