'One Day at a Time' Fans Slam Netflix for Service's Lack of Viewership Disclosure, Dropping $100M on 'Friends'

After Netflix announced it was cancelling One Day A Time after three seasons and cited low [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

After Netflix announced it was cancelling One Day A Time after three seasons and cited low viewership, Netflix users lashed out at the service for spending millions on keeping Friends available for another year and not disclosing its viewership numbers.

Although critically acclaimed and beloved by its fan base, Netflix specifically claimed "not enough people watched to justify another season."

But Netflix — like Hulu, Amazon and other streaming services — usually does not release viewership data unless it is to promote a popular movie, like Bird Box. This means there is no way to know if One Day At A Time was really getting less viewers than Stranger Things or Orange Is The New Black.

"Netflix says 'simply not enough people' watched One Day at a Time to justify renewal. And maybe that's true! But we don't and will never know the numbers, so [shrug emoticon]," Variety's Caroline Darya Framke tweeted.

"We'd love to see the numbers. Oh wait, you never [publicly] release actual viewing numbers of the shows in a way that anyone can substantiate," another fan wrote.

"A SUPER weird thing about Netflix's 'we are your friends!' social brand means numbers-based corporate decisions inevitably become personal betrayals for their follower/friends/CLIENTS," Vulture's Jordan Crucchiola wrote. "Feels like the corporate 'we're a family!' schtick when no this is exchange of $$ & service."

Fans were also upset to hear Netflix would no longer invest in the show, especially after the service shelled out a reported $100 million just to be the exclusive streaming home of Friends for another year. That deal was already blamed for the upcoming price hike.

"Netflix: Representation is important. Also Netflix: Here's a bunch of seasons of Friends no one asked for," actor Kaitlyn Alexander wrote.

"Netflix can spend $100 million to keep friends on their website for one year but can't fund another season for one day at a time??" another fan wrote.

"Netflix spent $100 million to pick up friends — a show that they're only able to run for another year yet they cancel One Day At A Time at the first hurdle?!!!" another wrote.

One Day At A Time was based on the original Norman Lear sitcom that ran from 1975 to 1984, and followed Justina Machado as a single mother raising two children. The show was critically acclaimed and gained a sizeable fan base, despite Netflix never doing much to promote it, thanks to its focus on a Cuban-American family, and stories involving LGBT characters and immigrants.

The cast also included Rita Moreno, Isabella Gomez, Marvel Ruiz, Todd Grinnell and Stephen Tobolowsky.

The series was produced by Sony Pictures Television, which is reportedly looking for a new home for the show. However, Netflix still owns the rights to the first three seasons.

Photo credit: Netflix

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