Canceled Netflix Shows of 2017

For the first few years Netflix began producing original television, it seemed as though the studio couldn’t be stopped.

Almost every original series was a hit, earning Netflix critical praise and awards recognition. Many felt that it was almost impossible for the studio to cancel one of its original projects.

However, that sentiment came crashing down in 2017. After being flooded with originals over the last couple of years, Netflix has been forced to learn how to pick and choose which shows are worth continuing. Thus, a storm of cancellations took over 2017.

From Emmy-winning political dramas to low-budget westerns, Netflix said goodbye to quite a few shows over the past year.

House of Cards

The most recent cancellation by Netflix was also the company’s most controversial.

House of Cards was one of the studio’s first original shows to really take off, and that success was largely due to the acclaimed performance of Kevin Spacey. However, in October, Spacey received numerous allegations of sexual misconduct and assault over the years. 

Shortly after the accusers came forward, Netflix decided to end House of Cards after its upcoming sixth season. Spacey’s character has been written off and Robin Wright will take over as the sole star.

 

Girlboss

Unlike House of Cards, Girlboss was released without much controversy at all. Sadly, it just didn’t hold up to the high standards that other Netflix shows had already set.

Girlboss tells the true story of Sophia Amoruso, played by Britt Roberson, as she began the company Nasty Girl while working at a San Francisco art college.

After mixed reviews from critics, and little buzz on social media, Girlboss was canceled after just one season.

Gypsy

Gypsy was another one-and-done series for Netflix, but this cancellation was a bit more puzzling. 

Starring Naomi Watts and Billy Crudup, Gypsy seemed like a sexy psychological thriller that Netflix fans would enjoy binging. When the first season was released however, people quickly decided the show was a bit of a bore.

After just one season, Gypsy was axed.

The Get Down

Fans and critics seemed to love Baz Luhrmann’s The Get Down, but not quite enough to cover the expensive cost of the series.

The musical series, set to the backdrop of 1970s New York, released six episodes back in 2016. Netflix revealed at that time that more episodes would be released at a later date, completing the first season.

Ahead of the Season 1, Part 2 premiere, the company announced that the new episodes would conclude The Get Down, ending its brief run.

Longmire

Longmire had a long life for a television show, and one that spanned multiple networks. The decision for Netflix to end the series after Season 6 certainly didn’t seem like a bad thing.

After three successful seasons on A&E, Longmire was not renewed. However, Netflix decided to pick the show up as an original production, where it lasted for an additional three seasons.

 

 

Sense8

Sense8 received fairly mixed reviews from critics, but sci-fi fans, along with the LGBTQ+ community gave the series a strong following. 

Netflix canceled the series after just two seasons. However, the outpouring of love from fans was so profound, the studio decided to bring Sense8 back for a two-hour special, acting as a series finale.

The final episode of Sense8 is set to debut on Netflix in 2018.

Bloodline

Bloodline‘s end seemed to be somewhere between a cancellation and an series completion.

Netflix announced that the highly-praised series would be coming to an end in May 2017, however that only gave it three seasons. Fans of the show thought there clearly could have been more, despite the very contained storyline.

Over the three years Bloodline was releasing new episodes, stars Kyle Chandler and Ben Mendelsohn were both nominated for multiple Emmy Awards for their performances. Mendelsohn won one of them.

 

Marco Polo

Netflix canceled quite a few shows in 2017, but let’s not forget that a couple of original series met their end before that.

Marco Polo was easily one of the streaming service’s grandest ventures to-date, attempting to tell the tale of the storied explorer. Unfortunately, the cost of the period piece was just too great.

Netflix axed the series in December 2016 after two seasons, and an estimated $200 million loss.

The Killing

The Killing, like Longmire, began on cable television, with the first two seasons airing on AMC. 

In 2012, after just two seasons on the series premiered, AMC announced that The Killing had been canceled. Netflix disagreed with the decision, quickly picking up the program as an original and greenlighting a third season.

In 2014, a fourth and final season was released on the streaming service.

Hemlock Grove

Hemlock Grove never really caught on with viewers, but the luxury of being one of the first Netflix originals to be released allowed it stick around a little bit longer.

The first season of the horror series debuted in 2013, telling the story of the mysterious murders plaguing the fictional town of Hemlock Grove, Pensylvania.

Netflix ended the series with a third season that was released in October 2015.