‘Anne With An E’ and 5 More Netflix Shows With Huge Petitions to Save Them From Cancellation

Netflix has a lot of canceled shows that fans are not ready to let go of. It’s no secret that the streamer has a track record of canceling shows. A lot of times, it’s only after just one season. Even so, fans start campaigns and petitions to hopefully save their favorite show from a premature cancellation. No matter how long it’s been, they are not backing down.

Of course, Netflix has canceled a lot of shows prematurely. But shows like Anne with an E, Julie and the Phantoms, and The Society are still making waves. While it’s unknown if they will ever be saved, since the longer the wait, the less of a chance there is, the campaigns won’t be stopping any time soon. And for good reason.

‘Julie and the Phantoms’

Premiering in September 2020, Julie and the Phantoms became an instant favorite among viewers. The series centers on high school musician Julie Molina, who accidentally summons the spirits of a deceased band from 1995. To make matters even better, Kenny Ortega, known for the High School Musical and Descendants trilogies, Hocus Pocus, and The Cheetah Girls 2, was attached to the project. 

Unfortunately, it took a while for any news about a renewal or cancellation to break. Over a year after the premiere, Netflix officially canceled the Julie and the Phantoms in December 2021. Since the cancellation, fans started a change.org petition, which has racked up over 44,000 signatures. Although Ortega confirmed to Deadline in March 2022 that there were no plans for the series to return, you never know what could happen.

‘Cowboy Bebop’

The live-action adaptation of the 1998 anime of the same name is set in 2071 and focuses on a ragtag group of bounty hunters as they chase down criminals across the Solar System. It was initially announced in 2017, with Netflix ordering it to series a year later. After star John Cho was injured on set, production had to pause for several months. When the show did finally premiere in November 2021, it was highly criticized for its writing, special effects, editing, and action sequences. Netflix canceled less than a month later.

Even despite the criticism, fans have still been trying to save it. They made a change.org petition when news of the cancellation broke. Today, it has over 155,000 signatures. While it seems like the petition has sadly done nothing, it goes to show that the fans are not backing down any time soon. Perhaps adventures aboard the Bebop spaceship aren’t over, even if it is for a while.

‘Santa Clarita Diet’

Santa Clarita Diet starred Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant and lasted for three seasons. The comedy horror centers on Barrymore’s Sheila, who becomes a zombie. Even though the third season premiered in 2018, it took almost a full year for Netflix to announce the cancellation.

Fans were up in arms over the Santa Clarita Diet cancellation. They quickly took to change.org in the hopes of getting the show saved. It currently has over 32,000 signatures. Last year, many fans were still streaming Santa Clarita Diet, even three years after the cancellation. It proves that the series is still beloved by many, and the cancellation was definitely premature.

‘Anne with an E’

One of the most frustrating cancellations was Anne with an E. The Canadian series is loosely adapted from Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 1908 children’s book Anne of Green Gables. The period drama received positive reviews and tackled issues such as child abandonment, psychological trauma, social issues, and more. Not long after Season 3 dropped in November 2019, Netflix and CBC Television announced the cancellation.

Fans were livid when news broke and quickly took to change.org. One petition has racked up over a million signatures. Unfortunately, even with the massive petition and fan support, it’s been three years, and Anne with an E still remains canceled. 

‘The Society’

The Society still hurts. The mystery drama premiered in 2019 and followed a group of teenagers who have to run their own community after the rest of the population of their town disappears. Netflix renewed The Society only two months after it premiered. Unfortunately, a year later, the streamer reversed its decision because of COVID and production delays.

After they were so close to a second season, fans created petitions on change.org. One has over 48,000 signatures. While cancellations are terrible, reverse cancellations are even worse since it was initially renewed. Three years later, the series has yet to come back, and it’s looking more like it’s impossible. We’ll never know what happened with New West Ham, so fans will just have to keep imagining it.

‘Teenage Bounty Hunters’

Yet another one-season series, Teenage Bounty Hunters premiered in August 2020 and followed high school twins Sterling and Blair, who become bounty hunters to pay for their father’s pickup truck repair. Just two months after the series dropped, Netflix canceled it. Fans quickly took to change.org to try to save it. One petition has gotten over 52,000 signatures. Nothing has come from it, unfortunately, but there is always the chance it could come back.