Netflix Cancels ‘Sense8’ After 2 Seasons

Netflix is pulling the plug on drama Sense8 after two seasons.

The VP of Netflix original content, Cindy Holland, gave a statement bout the cancellation obtained by Variety.

“After 23 episodes, 16 cities and 13 countries, the story of the Sense8 cluster is coming to an end. It is everything we and the fans dreamed it would be: bold, emotional, stunning, kick ass, and outright unforgettable. Never has there been a more truly global show with an equally diverse and international cast and crew, which is only mirrored by the connected community of deeply passionate fans all around the world. We thank Lana, Lilly, Joe and Grant for their vision, and the entire cast and crew for their craftsmanship and commitment,” Holland said.

Given what Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings, said on Wednesday during an interview with CNBC, it is not quite as surprising that the streaming service would choose to cancel the series. Hastings indicated that he plans to be much more ruthless when it comes to cancelling shows in the future. The founder of the company explained that there are too many wildly successful shows on Netflix not to be extremely selective.

“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.”

When deciding to cancel Sense8 – and other shows like Marco Polo and The Get Down – the company looks at viewership data as a primary source to aid in decision-making. Even though Netflix famously does not release detailed viewership information, Hastings did hint at how crucial the numbers are in decision making with the future of the streaming service’s TV shows.

“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.”

Reed Hastings says that Netflix is looking to find the shows that have the potential to be massively popular like Stranger Things and the controversial series 13 Reasons Why.

“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.

Photo Credit: Netflix