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Netflix started the streaming revolution in 2007 and has remained the undisputed titan of the industry ever since.
The service has produced some of the biggest hits of the last decade, including Stranger Things, Bridgerton, Love is Blind, Squid Game and Bird Box.
However, for every blockbuster Netflix has produced, there are even more shows that either didn’t release or couldn’t maintain their initial popularity.
Many of the streamer’s canceled shows garnered critical acclaim and developed loyal fan bases, but were still removed for a variety of reasons.
Some simply couldn’t get enough subscribers, while others were affected by increasing budgets or unexpected production problems.
Here, DailyMail.com has taken a look back at some of the Netflix shows that disappeared too soon and deserve a comeback.
David Fincher’s Mindhunter (pictured) is widely considered one of the most unfairly canceled shows to ever hit Netflix.
mind hunter
Among moviegoers, David Fincher’s Mindhunter is generally considered the most unfairly canceled Netflix series in history.
Based on the best-selling 1995 true crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, the psychological thriller followed FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench along with psychologist Wendy Carr as they operate the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit. .
In addition to dealing with iconic killers like David Berkowitz and Charles Manson, the team also had to manage their relationships with each other, as well as their complicated personal lives outside of work.
Mindhunter, which premiered in 2017, was praised by critics for its cinematic visuals and rich character development and was ultimately ranked one of the best shows of the 2010s.
Unfortunately, the series was put on indefinite hold shortly after its second season aired in 2019, and in February 2023, Fincher officially confirmed that it had been canceled due to budget and ratings concerns.
GLOW
Women’s wrestling comedy GLOW (pictured) garnered praise from critics and fans alike, but it wasn’t enough to save it from cancellation.
Based on the now-defunct wrestling promotion Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, GLOW followed the personal and professional lives of female wrestlers as they wrestled in and out of the ring.
Premiering in 2017, the comedy-drama quickly became one of the platform’s most beloved shows thanks to its stellar cast, nostalgic ’80s period, and female empowerment themes.
While it never reached record numbers for Netflix, GLOW was a huge hit with critics and was able to develop a die-hard fan base online.
A fourth and final season was planned in 2020, but filming restrictions caused by the Covid pandemic shut down production at the start of filming.
Netflix ultimately made the decision to cancel the show, but fans refused to let GLOW go and a Change.org petition to save the series currently has over 21,000 signatures.
the society
In 2019, Netflix was forced to scrap teen drama The Society (pictured) after just one season when Covid restrictions affected production of a planned second season.
GLOW wasn’t the only series that was canceled due to the Covid pandemic.
In 2019, the streaming giant was forced to scrap teen drama The Society after just one season when Covid restrictions affected production of a planned second installment.
The mystery series followed a group of teenagers who have to learn how to run their own community after their small town’s population seemingly disappears overnight.
“We have made the difficult decision to not move forward with the second season of The Society and I do not agree with this,” Netflix said in a statement at the time.
“We are disappointed to have to make these decisions due to the circumstances created by COVID.”
The sun brothers
Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar win wasn’t enough to save Brothers Sun (pictured) from being fired after just one season.
Michelle Yeoh may have won an Academy Award for Everything Everywhere All at Once last year, but it wasn’t enough to save her Netflix series The Brothers Sun.
The action-packed series was developed by TV kingpin Brad Falchuk as part of his eight-figure deal with Netflix, so expectations were high for it to be a hit.
While it received good reviews and generated a lot of buzz following Yeoh’s Oscar win, Netflix decided to remove the series in March after just one season.
“Heartbroken… and it’s so hard for me to understand why,” Yeoh said at the time.
‘However, I am very proud of the My Brothers Sun family and what we present to the world. With your head held high.
sense8
Sense8 (pictured) has developed a huge cult following and fandom despite only lasting two seasons on Netflix.
One of the most talked about Netflix shows of the last decade is the sci-fi drama Sense8.
Created by The Wachowskis (the Matrix franchise) and J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon5), Sense8 was praised for its focus on diversity, especially when it comes to LGBTQ characters.
When Netflix removed the series in 2017 after just two seasons, fan demand to bring it back was so strong that the streamer produced a two-and-a-half-hour series finale in 2018.
There has been talk of a possible Sense8 revival, including from star Miguel Ángel Silvestre, but for now the series appears to be on ice.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
The critically acclaimed series based on Jim Henson’s 1982 film The Dark Crystal won critical acclaim but was still canceled.
One of the lesser-known shows that has been canceled at the streamer is The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
The series, which served as a prequel to Jim Henson’s 1982 film The Dark Crystal, wowed audiences and critics alike in 2019 with its combination of stylish CGI and incredible practical effects.
Vulture called it a “staggering artistic achievement,” while RogerEbert.com called it “one of the great fantasy epics of all time.”
An Emmy win followed in 2020 and the creators discussed a possible second season, but Netflix ultimately decided to get rid of it.
Despite this, The Jim Henson Company has been open about its desire to continue the show, whether on Netflix or elsewhere.
Sell Tampa
The cast of Selling Tampa accused viewers of racism after their spinoff was axed after just one season.
While originally known for its documentaries and scripted television dramas, Netflix scored its first major television hit in 2019 with Selling Sunset.
Produced by The Hills’ Adam DiVello, the glossy series follows the glamorous and malicious staff of a luxury real estate agency in Los Angeles as they navigate their personal and professional lives.
Netflix has since split the show into two spin-offs, starting with Selling Tampa in 2021 and Selling the OC in 2022.
While the OC spin-off was a huge success, Tampa struggled to attract viewers and was canceled after just one season.
Reality TV fans were disappointed to see Selling Tampa end, as its all-black female cast brought more diversity to the franchise.
In a 2022 interview, cast member Juawana Colbert said Page six that racism may have contributed to it ending so soon.
“When they show us (black women) in a different light, when we argue and fight and call us names, they get a season 2 and a season 3, but that’s not what we were showing,” she said.
“I feel like we weren’t given a second chance, possibly because of what we represented as minority women.”
The Santa Clarita Diet
Just before hitting it big with her eponymous talk show, Drew Barrymore kept busy as the star of the bizarre horror comedy The Santa Clarita Diet.
Just before hitting it big with her eponymous talk show, Drew Barrymore kept busy as the star of the bizarre horror comedy The Santa Clarita Diet.
The series, which ran for three seasons, saw Barrymore play a real estate agent who discovers she is turning into a zombie.
She is then tasked with balancing being a wife, mother, and businesswoman with her newfound need for human flesh.
Despite the twisted premise, fans loved the series for its originality, quirky style, and morbid humor.
The third season earned a 100 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but that wasn’t enough to save it from cancellation.
