Netflix’s Cancellation of Over 200 TV Shows in Under a Decade

Netflix has discontinued over 200 TV shows since 2015, leaving subscribers frustrated with unresolved cliffhangers and seemingly arbitrary cancellations.

As of now, the streaming service has already canceled 11 shows in 2024, including: Buying London, Dead Boy Detectives, Buying Beverly Hills, My Dad the Bounty Hunter, Everything Now, That Girl Lay Lay, Barbarians, The Brothers Sun, Ratched (although it premiered in 2020, confirmation of its cancellation was made this year), Erin and Aaron, and Obliterated.

This pattern of cancellations has become common for Netflix, which has significantly cut back on its programming in recent years. Some cancellations were easier for fans to accept than others; the unresolved cliffhangers of shows like The OA, 1899, and Santa Clarita Diet continue to infuriate viewers.

Currently trending with the hashtag #NetflixCancels on social media, the full scope of these cancellations is being outlined. Since 2015, Netflix has canceled nearly 230 shows in the past nine years, although a few inaccuracies exist in the reporting.

The original poster for Netflix's Marco Polo — Netflix

One of Netflix’s earliest hits, Marco Polo, was canceled after only two seasons.

Among the shows that might not be familiar to everyone, several notable cancellations include all the Marvel series (such as Daredevil and Jessica Jones), Designated Survivor, Mindhunter, Criminal, Fate: The Winx Saga, Shadow & Bone, Archive 81, and Break Point.

While it’s understandable to express frustration, some viewers have acknowledged that Netflix continues to produce original content; for instance, comedian Richard Gadd highlighted in his Emmys speech that Baby Reindeer was a unique risk that might not have been embraced by other streaming services.

Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning as Donny and Martha in Baby Reindeer — Netflix

Baby Reindeer recently won four Emmys.

As one user mentioned on Reddit, “Now do any major network. Shows get canceled; at least they’re trying to make new content.”

This is a valid perspective, yet it is challenging to reconcile with statements made by co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who asserts that Netflix has never canceled a “successful” show, while several of their discontinued projects boasted high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes from both critics and audiences.

In a previous interview with Bloomberg, Sarandos stated, “We have never canceled a successful show. Many of these shows were well-intended but catered to a very small audience on a very large budget.”

He elaborated, “The key is to engage a small audience with a small budget and a large audience with a large budget. If you execute that well, you can maintain that indefinitely.”

Meanwhile, you can stay informed about the Netflix shows that are still streaming by consulting our guides on Stranger Things Season 5, Wednesday Season 2, and our overview of other streaming TV shows this month.

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