Netflix CEO Reveals More Cancellation Details

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings plans on pulling the plug on more shows in the future if he gets his way. During an interview with CNBC on Wednesday, the founder of the world’s most popular streaming service spoke out about being more ruthless when it comes to canceling shows.

According to Hastings, the reasons that he wants to discontinue more Netflix shows is because the streaming service has been on such a hot streak with so many successful series.

“Our hit ratio is way too high right now,” Hastings said. “So, we’ve canceled very few shows… I’m always pushing the content team: We have to take more risk, you have to try more crazy things. Because we should have a higher cancel rate overall.”

Hastings’ point was not that he simply wants to cancel more shows, but rather take more risks to find the diamond in the rough type series like 13 Reasons Why, which has been a surprising smash hit.

“You get some winners that are just unbelievable winners, like 13 Reasons Why. It surprised us. It’s a great show, but we didn’t realize just how it would catch on,” he said.

The Netflix CEO didn’t go into the specifics about how many people have watched 13 Reasons Why, but that is for good reason. The company never releases detailed viewership data. However, Hastings did essentially admit that the number of people watching a particular Netflix series does drastically impact the formula that the streaming service uses in order to decide which shows get the boot.

“You can tell when we cancel a show,” he said. “It’s a mix [of viewing and subscriber growth]. Mostly, it is how many people watch. But those are very connected.”

Netflix has already canceled multiple shows that seemed to be extremely popular. Clearly, the streaming service felt differently.

​

In a rare move, Netflix decided not to continue with the second season of Baz Luhrmann’s The Get Down. The streaming service historically gave almost every series a second season but opted out of continuing the musical drama. The Get Down was one of Netflix’s most expensive shows, costing about $120 million.

Before the show was canceled Baz Luhrmann explained that he already developed Season 2.

“To be honest, we have already developed the opening of the next season,” he said according to Deadline. “Sony and Netflix have been very driven about having a second season. There has been no question about that. They really want it.”

After the cancellation, Luhrmann took to Facebook to comment on the situation. The award-winning director claimed that the reason Netflix pulled the plug was because he wasn’t going to be able to be as heavily involved with the second season.

“This exclusivity has understandably become a sticking point for Netflix and Sony, who have been tremendous partners and supporters of the show,” he wrote. “It kills me that I can’t split myself into two and make myself available to both productions… But the simple truth is, I make movies.”

​

Another notable Netflix cancellation was Marco Polo. The show was grandiose in scale and required significant money and resources to bring the epic tale to life. Unfortunately, the viewers did not enjoy the show enough to justify the high costs.

Several other programs on Netflix weren’t exactly canceled but rather were given an ending date. Longmire, The Killing, and family drama Bloodline all fell into this category.

The first two major Netflix cancellations came in 2015 when Lilyhammer and Hemlock Grove were given the ax. The former was a Norwegian-American series that lasted four seasons. Hemlock Grove was extended a little more courtesy than Lilyhammer as the producers were informed that there would be no more seasons after the third.

While several of these beloved Netflix shows won’t be getting more seasons, there is a number of thrilling titles that are hitting the streaming service in June.

Check out the full list of titles coming to Netflix this month below:

​

Avail 6/1/17

1 Night (2016)

13 Going on 30 (2004)

Amor.com (Love.com)

Arrow: Season 5 (2016)

Burlesque (2017)

Catfight (2016)

Catwoman (2004)

Chingo Bling: They Can’t Deport Us All

Days of Grace (2011)

Devil’s Bride (2016)

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

Intersection: Season 2 (2016)

Kardashian: The Man Who Saved OJ Simpson (2016)

Little Boxes (2016)

Mutant Busters: Season 2 (2016)

My Left Foot (1989)

Off Camera with Sam Jones: Series 3 (2015)

Playing It Cool (2014)

Rounders (1998)

Spring (Primavera) (2016)

The 100: Season 4 (2016)

The Ant Bully (2006)

The Bucket List (2007)

The Queen (2006)

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Vice (2015)

West Coast Customs: Season 3 (2013)

Yarn (2016)

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Zodiac (2007)

​

Avail 6/2/17

Comedy Bang! Bang!: Season 5, Part 2 (2016)

Flaked: Season 2 – NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Inspector Gadget: Season 3 – NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Los Últimos de Filipinas (2016)

Lucid Dream – NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM

Saving Banksy (2014)

The Homecoming: Collection (2015)

Avail 6/3/17

Acapulco La vida va (2017)

Blue Gold: American Jeans (2017)

Headshot (2016)

Three (2016)

Tunnel (2016)

War on Everyone (2016)

Avail 6/4/17

TURN: Washington’s Spies: Season 3 (2016)

Avail 6/5/17

Suite Française (2014)

Avail 6/7/17

Disturbing the Peace (2016)

Dreamworks’ Trolls (2016)

​

Avail 6/9/17

My Only Love Song: Season 1 – NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Orange Is the New Black: Season 5 – NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Shimmer Lake – NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM

Avail 6/10/17

Black Snow (Nieve Negra) (2017)

Daughters of the Dust (1991)

Havenhurst (2017)

Sword Master (2016)

Avail 6/13/17

Oh, Hello On Broadway – NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail 6/14/17

Quantico: Season 2 (2016)