Why does Netflix keep cancelling its best shows?

An experience that binds us all: looking forward to watching our favourite series, only to learn that Netflix has cancelled it. Regardless of a show's fan base or the awards it wins, it is not immune to getting axed. So, why does Netflix, amongst other streaming services, have a notorious reputation for this?

The critically acclaimed show "1899" reached the top spot and accumulated about 80 million hours of viewing in its debut week. This should seem sufficient to guarantee a second season; however, the show was cancelled. Forbes reported that the completion rate metric plays a vital role in deciding whether a show gets another season or gets cancelled. This metric represents the proportion of Netflix users who start watching a show and finish all available episodes. In essence, it comes down to how many people Netflix can reasonably expect to watch the upcoming season if it gets renewed. Are you really going to watch season 2 of "1899" if you didn't finish season 1?

Neil Gaiman has confirmed the theory that completion rate is used as a yardstick by Netflix by urging his fans to watch season 2 of "Sandman" within 30 days. The streaming giant religiously follows this binge-worthy model. Unfortunately, this is unfavourable for shows that do not have an engaging or fast-paced pilot episode, received a weak critical response, or have not been promoted well. Moreover, some viewers might start watching shows during the holiday season instead of when the show is released.

A heartwarming and lighthearted show like "Heartstopper" consists of eight 30-minute episodes, whereas episodes of the gory, supernatural drama "First Kills" range from 45 to 50 minutes, making "Heartstopper" easier to binge. Consider the hugely popular AMC series "Breaking Bad". The first episode, which aired in January 2008, drew in about 1.41 million viewers. However, by the time its last episode aired in 2013, about 6 million people had watched it.

Even the greatest television programmes ever created need time to develop a following and become well-known. Netflix's nature of culling does not necessarily support slow-burn series or ones that leave cliffhangers in the last episode.

In comparison to other streaming services, this issue is primarily unique to Netflix. Although other streaming services often release new shows, they also prioritise accumulating a library of old shows for use as a back catalogue. When you first open the app, new shows will take priority, but even a quick five seconds of surfing will probably show you a number of series that are months or years old that you may find intriguing. The flexibility to view what you want when you want to was the fundamental idea behind "on-demand" streaming. While episodes on Hulu and HBO Max have been released gradually over time, Netflix has remained true to its all-at-once, binge-watch approach.

Read more

'The Crown' finale: Blurring the lines between fact and fiction too much

Another reason why Netflix might cancel a show is when the ratio of viewership to financial threshold is unbalanced. If a television programme has a smaller audience, even with an ardent fan base, it could be cancelled by Netflix. If a series has a particular niche genre, it might be using up the budget that could be spent on a show in a more popular genre. If Netflix feels it is losing market share in a particular genre, it may reevaluate what it is offering.

In the case of "Mindhunter", a show that takes a look inside the FBI's elite serial crime unit, Netflix had to cancel it as the show was very expensive to film. Netflix executives are fixated on maximising the number of subscribers, so they will greenlight content that will appeal to as many individuals as possible. This ensures the retention and increment of subscribers. Even though the news of "Mindhunter" being cancelled disappointed many fans, it just did not see the light of day anymore.

Another popular series that recently got cancelled was "Shadow and Bone". Based on the "Grishaverse" novels by Leigh Bardugo, Netflix's adaptation drew in a sizable audience and sparked a video game franchise. However, the fantasy show's sophomore season didn't have the same traction as its first and stayed five weeks on Netflix's list of the top 10 English-language TV shows without peaking at number one.

The cancellation of "Anne with an E" kicked off online campaigns where fans urged the platform to renew it for more seasons. In some cases, the reason behind shows being cancelled remains a mystery. For example, "Lockwood & Co" attained the number one spot on Netflix and amassed an astounding 79.91 million hours of viewing in just its first three weeks of release. The show was loved by critics, book lovers, and novices to the "Lockwood & Co" universe. Yet, Netflix added "Lockwood & Co" to its extensive roster of prematurely cancelled series.

The issue, in the case of Netflix, is that binge-watching a series over its premiere weekend feels practically required, lest unfavourable reviews cancel a show you would otherwise enjoy. If it released episodes on a weekly basis like other streaming platforms, it would give the audience more time to watch each episode and decide whether they want to continue watching the whole series. Rather than spending money on creating numerous series and expecting us to become emotionally attached over a short period of time, they ought to put more effort and money into extending the seasons of well-known stories.