We’ve all been there. You discover a new Netflix Original series, invest hours into binge-watching it, and grow to love the characters. Then, you find out it’s been canceled.
Sometimes it feels like the streaming service pulls shows quicker than it churns them out. While there’s plenty of incredible content on the platform, there’s no denying that it can feel somewhat personal when your favorite series is snuffed out early.
This year alone has seen several Netflix staples including GLOW and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, as well as promising newcomers like Away and I Am Not Okay With This, meet their untimely demise to the sound of devastated fans around the world.
Below you’ll find all the major original shows that have been canceled by Netflix in 2020. Fingers crossed we won’t be adding your favorite before the year is out.
AJ & The Queen
RuPaul, arguably the most famous drag queen in the world, has found tremendous popularity with his reality-competition series RuPaul’s Drag Race. It’s even inspired several spin-offs filmed in Canada, Thailand, Holland, and the UK. However, they couldn’t translate that success to his heartwarming comedy-drama AJ & The Queen, which was canceled after just one season.
Altered Carbon
Laeta Kalogridis’ body-swapping cyberpunk drama Altered Carbon was canceled by Netflix in August, following two seasons and an anime movie. Unlike other shows that have been binned due to the ongoing global health crisis this year, Deadline reports that the show simply wasn’t popular enough to be worth continuing for the streaming giant.
Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love
Also known as The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia, this Netflix sitcom followed 15-and-a-half-year-old robotics engineer and rocket scientist Ashley as she traveled across the country to pursue a career with a prestigious company. It was canceled after one season, with a Christmas special on the way in December.
Astronomy Club: The Sketch Show
The official Twitter account for Netflix’s comedy series Astronomy Club: The Sketch Show announced that it hadn’t been renewed for a second season in June. “Hoping that more black artists & comedians are given the platform to have voices in the future,” they said at the time, while thanking fans for tuning in.
Away
A bankable lead actor and several weeks in the top 10 of the Nielsen streaming charts weren’t enough to guarantee a second season for Away. The show was canceled just one month after it premiered on Netflix. Reflecting on the “incredible journey” of filming, Hillary Swank thanked co-stars and fans for their support but said she “wish[ed] we were showing you Mars”, where the characters landed at the end of the first season.
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina
Despite having the power of nostalgia and brand recognition on its side, it was recently announced that Netflix’s darker take on Sabrina the Teenage Witch – which also doubles as a Riverdale spin-off – will not be returning after its upcoming fourth season. The decision was a surprise for many, as the show was (seemingly) a big-hitter for the streaming service.
GLOW
Netflix’s critically-acclaimed GLOW, which follows a group of female wrestlers known as the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, was canceled this year after three successful seasons. The streaming giant said filming had become “especially challenging” during the ongoing global health crisis, so its fourth and final season was scrapped, despite having already completed the first episode.
I Am Not Okay With This
Netflix said it was a “difficult decision” and that they were “disappointed” to cancel coming-of-age drama I Am Not Okay With This back in August, but that likely won’t be enough to soothe the pain of fans who latched onto the show’s relatable characters and intriguing storylines – especially when Deadline reports that scripts were already written.
Insatiable
Debby Ryan’s controversial weight-loss comedy-drama Insatiable was faced with backlash before it even premiered, so many viewers were surprised when it got a second season order from Netflix. Unfortunately, that media attention wasn’t enough to grant a third season, and it was canceled in February this year.
Marianne
Despite receiving positive reviews and winning over Stephen King himself, Netflix’s French horror series Marianne was canceled after just one season. The news was confirmed by director Samuel Bodin, who wrote on Instagram: “There won’t be a second season of Marianne. We are very sorry and sad about that. But we will see you in other stories.”
Messiah
It got a heavy push from Netflix – including plenty of adverts on public transport – but that wasn’t enough to save Messiah from being canceled after just one season. Actor Wil Traval, who plays Will Mathers in the show, said it was “a very sad day” and that he “wished things were different” when he broke the news on Instagram in March.
Merry Christmas Whatever
Following a family around the Christmas period, this comedy starred Ashley Tisdale and Denis Quaid. The showrunner, Tucker Crawley, confirmed back in March 2020 that this festive show would unfortunately not be renewed.
Mortel
French series Mortel followed two teens as they tried to solve the murder of one of their siblings. After making contact with a supernatural being, they gained superpowers. Its six-episode first season didn’t perform as well as expected, and it was canceled just two months after it aired on Netflix.
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Next In Fashion
Style guru Tan France found success as part of Netflix’s wildly popular reboot of Queer Eye. Unfortinately, he couldn’t translate that success to his own original series Next In Fashion, which also starred Alexa Chung. It was given just one season on the streaming platform.
October Faction
Created by Damian Kindler and based on the comic of the same name, supernatural drama October Faction followed the monster-hunting Allen family as they returned to their hometown in upstate New York. It didn’t perform well enough with viewers or critics to warrant a second season. Some have speculated that the runaway success of Locke & Key, another show from Netflix’s partnership with IDW Publishing, may have played a hand in the decision.
Osmosis
With a Black Mirror-style concept, French sci-fi drama Osmosis seemed promising. It follows a group of singles who volunteer for a new dating service. The service uses an implant to explore the brains of its users and find their perfect romantic match. Unfortunately, it failed to gain enough viewership for a second season.
Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj
After an impressive six-season run, Hasan Minhaj announced that his Netflix comedy talk show Patriot Act had come to an end. Fans were upset, but Minhaj seemed positive about his experience. “I got to work with the best writers, producers, researchers and animators in the game,” he said at the time. “[Thank you] to Netflix and everyone who watched.”
Soundtrack
Creator Joshua Safran had plans in mind for a second season of his musical, lip-syncing drama Soundtrack, but they never came to fruition after Entertainment Weekly confirmed that Netflix had canceled the show in January this year.
Spinning Out
Competitive figure skating drama Spinning Out was canceled by Netflix in February, just one month after the first season premiered. Created by former competitive figure skater Samantha Stratton, the show starred Kaya Scodelario as Kat Baker. She’s a high-level skater who decides to compete in pairs with a talented bad-boy partner after a fall takes her off the solo competition track.
Teenage Bounty Hunters
Teenage Bounty Hunters followed twin sisters Blair and Sterling as they balanced high school life with burgeoning careers as bounty hunters. It had an interesting premise and won praise from viewers. Still, it was canceled after just one season. There’s no statement from Netflix, so we can only assume it didn’t perform as well as expected.
The Big Show Show
Netflix decided to cancel The Big Show Show, which features the eponymous WWE superstar, after just one season. There is some good news for fans, though, as a Christmas special will air in December.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
Fans of Jim Henson’s 1982 sci-fi classic The Dark Crystal were overjoyed to hear that Netflix would be reviving the franchise for a brand new prequel TV series. It featured a stellar voice cast including Sigourney Weaver, Taron Egerton, Simon Pegg, Benedict Wong and Helena Bonham Carter. But, it still met the same fate as every other show on this list when Netflix announced its cancellation the day after it won an Emmy in September.
The Order
Dennis Heaton, screenwriter for the popular Canadian-American Horror drama show The Order has also been canceled. Fans and the screenwriter himself are sad, sharing their memories on his Twitter post.
For two seasons I was honored to work with an incredible cast and crew on The Order for @netflix. It is one of the best experiences of my career. Unfortunately, we aren't returning, but I will always cherish the memories and the props I stole. Thank you all for watching.
— Dennis Heaton (@DennisHeaton2) November 14, 2020
A petition has also been created by fans who are calling for the show to be brought back for a third season. After similar successes with shows like Lucifer being renewed by fans’ passion, it will be interesting to see whether or not the petition budges the streaming giant to bring it back.
The Society
Hopes were high for the future of Christopher Keyser’s teen drama The Society. It received praise from viewers and critics, but complications and budget increases caused by the global health crisis led to Netflix axing the show. This one has received a particularly passionate backlash from fans. Many of them still flood Netflix’s social media pages asking them to rethink their decision.
Turn Up Charlie
A comedy series starring everyone’s favorite British actor Idris Elba may have seemed like a sure-fire win for Netflix. However, it received the chop after just one season. In a statement, the streaming platform said they were “especially grateful” to the show’s star and executive producer Elba. They also hoped to work with him on future projects.
V Wars
Netflix’s Ian Somheralder-led vampire drama V Wars, based on the comics by Jonathan Maberry and Alan Robinson, showed potential. Unfortunately, it wasn’t given a proper chance to prove itself as it was canceled after just one season. Some have speculated that the runaway success of Locke & Key, another show from Netflix’s partnership with IDW Publishing, may have played a hand in the decision.
