Netflix Cancels: Why Your Favorite Shows Are Getting Axed

The article titled ‘Netflix Cancels: Why Your Favorite Shows Are Getting Axed’ by Margaret Lyons published in The Atlantic on 23 November 2018 explains why Netflix chooses to cancel some of the shows that it invests in. Over the course of several years Netflix became not only the service providing people with high-quality series and movies but also a network that cancels shows its viewers enjoyed, within a year or two. If there is one thing most binge-watching enthusiasts of Netflix series know, it is that the series they fall in love with sometimes go missing. They also wondered why Netflix cancels so many of its shows and series. Now let us look how these factors play the role in cancellation by Netflix.

Viewership: A Key Factor

One of the main reasons that Netflix cancels its shows, this is viewership. If TV series does not find its audience and attract enough viewers to watch it, usually within several episodes, streaming platform removes it. Unlike Television where shows can take months or years to gather audience, streaming services require quick success.

High Production Costs

Some of the shows by Netflix are costly to produce. You know the kind of shows like The Witcher or Stranger Things; those tender millions for every episode alone. Still, if the return on investment isn’t going to be high then Netflix tends to change the present strategy and consider it better to let go of the project rather than continue to invest in it.

The "Two-Season Rule"

There is a belief from the insiders that Netflix only likes to continue programs that can run for at most a third and even a second season. To be more specific, new content always lures more subscribers than reiterating the old set and as a result, going beyond the third season usually signals higher costs due to contract renegotiation.

Changing Focus: Global Content and Reality Shows

Currently, Netflix has focused on expanding across the world acquiring series and movies, reality shows. Consequently, numerous mid-price English-language dramas and comedies have been slowly removed from some TV schedules to be replaced by new shows that would be more suitable globally.

Petitions and Social Media Campaigns

Whenever a favorite program is prematurely taken off the air, people again turn to creating petitions and sharing messages on social networks. However, not all canceled shows can be saved like what was done with Lucifer, most of the times of cancellation are final.

Can Canceled Shows Be Revived?

In other cases, some Netflix shows are produced anew and adopted by other networks. This is a widely spread phenomenon as now a number of platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, or HBO Max, buy canceled series. However, there are few ways most shows are rendered after they are discontinued by Netflix.

Netflix Cancellations: A Business Decision

Much as it is painful to find that your favorite series is terminated Netflix cancellations can be explained on business grounds. Due to stiff competition from Disney+, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV+ amongst others, Netflix has had to adapt to new ways of content production.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Lose Hope

If you liked a certain show that was removed, do not despair – and be proud to be a fan of your show at once.