In a bit of a shocker, Netflix is pulling the plug on its horror podcast adaptation Archive 81 after just a single season on the streamer per Deadline. The eight-episode series made its anticipated debut back on January 14, but despite positive reviews and overall decent viewership that seemed to pave the way for it to stand among Netflix's other horror giants like Midnight Mass and Brand New Cherry Flavor, the streamer opted not to renew it for a second round. It ultimately falls short of what the supernatural horror podcast it was based on has put out, leaving much of the story untapped.

It's a bit of a mystery why the series was cut short, even as Netflix touts viewership versus budget as the formula for determining the future of its shows. Archive 81 seemed to be performing well enough on that front, scoring a spot on Nielsen and Netflix’s weekly Top 10 ratings for originals and even ranking as the top streamed series in the U.S. for a brief moment after its debut. Rotten Tomatoes reviews of the series also painted a positive picture, with the critic consensus coming out to a strong 86 percent.

Archive 81 starred Mamoudou Athie and Dina Shihabi as archivist Dan Turner and documentarian Melody Pendras respectively. The series had an interesting, time-bending premise with Dan hired on to a mysterious job that sees him reconstructing Melody's footage from her investigation of cult activity at the Visser Apartment building. Viewers were treated to the two timelines of Dan and Melody playing out simultaneously and as Dan continues to restore the footage, the two form a connection. The mysterious link between the two leads Dan to believe that he can save Melody from her horrifying death nearly 25 years ago.

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Image via Netflix

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Archive 81 had a strong team behind it too with modern horror icon James Wan producing through his company Atomic Monster and The Boys producer Rebecca Sonnenshine getting her first crack at showrunning with the series. She also wrote and executive produced the show. Also on board was Stranger Things director Rebecca Thomas who took the reins for half of the series and also executive produced alongside Wan and Michael Clear of Atomic Monster, writer Paul Harris Boardman, and Antoine Douaihy. The series also starred Martin Donovan, Matt McGorry, Julia Chan, Evan Jonigkeit, and Ariana Neal.

The first season of Archive 81 is available on the streamer, but fans of the show will now have to rely on the original podcast to know more about the story of Dan and Melody.