The streaming behemoth Netflix has been behind some of the biggest and most highly praised shows of the year. Be it the unexpected explosion of the incisive Squid Game or the monumental achievement that was Midnight Mass, the shows that dominated the platform were ones that captured our interest.

However, even as there are many big hits, there are always going to also be some misses amidst the best of programming. These are the series that may not have found an audience or just didn’t quite connect with viewers like some of the best shows on the platform. Many of these shows met an early end that cut short narrative threads that were being established and any plans to continue their stories into additional seasons.

These are all the shows that Netflix has canceled in 2021 so far in the often ruthless world that is streaming television. It is possible some of them may find other life elsewhere as many shows try to resurrect what could have been. However, for many of these series, cancellation marks an early end that will likely be a permanent one.

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Cowboy Bebop

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Image Via Netflix

Oh poor Cowboy Bebop, we barely knew you. An adaptation of an anime series that was one of the platform’s most talked about new shows, it was unceremoniously canceled after less than a month. The quick end to the show’s future came as a surprise to many as it had been moderately successful with an apparent 75 million viewers out of the gate. However, mixed reviews and a declining interest seemed to have marked doom for the show.

In Collider’s review of the show, it was described as being a “soulless remake of a landmark anime series, one that is constantly drawing attention to the original while changing enough to take away the impact of what it's trying to emulate.”

For those wishing to reminisce about the now gone show, the first season is streaming on Netflix along with the entirety of the original animated series.

Dead to Me

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Image via Netflix

The dark comedy Dead To Me was a generally beloved show and isn’t quite done yet as there is a third season that is still upcoming. However, that season will be its last. Starring Christina Applegate & Linda Cardellini, who both were praised for their performances in the show, the show was all about their friendship that grows following loss.

The final season is set to air sometime in 2022.

The Last Kingdom

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Image via BBC America

A show that originally premiered on the BBC, The Last Kingdom was a historical fiction drama series based on Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Stories series of novels. It followed the adventures of warrior Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon) who was born a Saxon but raised by Vikings as he seeks to claim his ancestral birthright.

The show was canceled this year meaning the upcoming fifth season will be the last. Netflix had initially renewed the series in July of 2020 though that was followed by an official cancellation of April of this year. However, all is not lost as it was recently announced that the story would conclude with a feature-length film called Seven Kings Must Die with filming set to begin next year in Budapest.

The Irregulars

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Image via Netflix

A show that received mixed reviews, The Irregulars centered around a group of teens who live on the streets of Victorian London where they do work for John Watson and search for the missing Sherlock Holmes.

Despite a strong cast that made the most of the material, it was canceled on May 4 of this year around six weeks after it premiered in March.

Jupiter's Legacy

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Image Via Netflix

A superhero show that reportedly cost $200 million, Jupiter’s Legacy was quickly canceled despite the streamer's high investment in it. Praised for being a more subversive take on the genre, it wasn’t as much of a hit as the streamer was expecting it to be.

However, an offshoot of the story will find new life with an anthology series called Supercrooks that will continue on in its predecessor’s place.

Grand Army

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Image via Netflix

​​A teen drama that follows the struggles of a group of students at a public high school in New York, it premiered in October of last year and was canceled this past June.

The show was another example of strong central performances from its young cast that never quite lived up to its full potential.

Cursed

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Image via Netflix

A fantasy drama based on the illustrated novel of the same name by Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler, Cursed was a retelling of Arthurian lore that centered on Katherine Langford's Nimue. It served as an origin story of sorts as she would go on to be the Lady of the Lake of ancient legends.

Any other adaptation would have to take another form as this iteration won’t see an end as the cast were all released from their contracts in July after only running for one season.

Bonding

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Image via Netflix

The first of many comedies Netflix went on a canceling spree with, Bonding was a sitcom of sorts about a psychology student who moonlights as a dominatrix. It all centered around how to find that balance in life while entering into the world of professional BDSM. It ran for two seasons and was canceled in July.

The cancellation came as little surprise as, when members of the dominatrix community criticize your show as not just unrealistic but harmful, you likely have missed the mark of whatever you were trying to be.

Country Comfort

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Image via Netflix

A comedy that never found an audience who connected with its humor, Country Comfort centered around a country singer who takes a job as a nanny while figuring out what to do with her career. Reviews were not kind to the show, panning it as being far too predictable and clichéd for it to actually be considered clever.

It premiered in March of this year and was canceled in July after one season.

The Crew

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Via Netflix

A show that sounds like it is made up if you haven’t seen it, The Crew was a Kevin James comedy vehicle that centered around a NASCAR racing team that has to deal with a new boss. James is Kevin Gibson and is the crew chief who butts heads with said new boss in a show that can only be described as being stuck in neutral.

It premiered in February of this year and was canceled in July after one season.

Mr. Iglesias

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Image via Netflix

Another series with a higher profile comedy presence, Mr. Iglesias starred stand-up comedian Gabriel Iglesias himself as a high school teacher trying to inspire a group of misfits.

It premiered in June of 2019 and did get renewed for a second season, though that would be its last as it was canceled in July of this year.

Dash & Lily

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Image via Netflix

A Christmas show defined by its sweetness, Dash & Lily was based on the young adult series Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. Starring Austin Abrams and Midori Francis as the titular Dash & Lily of the title, Collider praised the duo’s performances though said “it can get a bit too cutesy and twee at times.”

It premiered in November of 2020 and was canceled in October of this year.

Hit & Run

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Image via Netflix

An espionage thriller that ended on a cliffhanger with the intention to continue on, Hit & Run instead will end with loose ends left unresolved. When news of the show being canceled first came out, it was reported that the primary reason was due to the cost of the show being too high.

Season one debuted in August and it was canceled just over a month later in September.

Dad, Stop Embarrassing Me

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Image via Netflix

Hailed as Jamie Foxx’s triumphant return to the sitcom, Dad, Stop Embarrassing Me was not the hit series some were hoping it would be. The show centered on Foxx as a dad who, you guessed it, is embarrassing his daughter Sasha who moves in with him after her mother dies.

There was praise for Foxx’s humor, though the general feeling was that the rest of the show around him just wasn’t all that funny. It premiered in April of this year and was canceled a few months later in June.

#blackAF

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Image via Netflix

#blackAF was a family comedy that closely aligned with creator Kenya Barris' real-life. Initially renewed for a second season, that was subsequently reversed and the show was canceled after one season.

However, the show may live on in a couple movies that continue the story in a different way.

Special

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Image via Netflix

Created by and starring Ryan O’Connell, Special definitely had the potential to be something really... special. The semi-autobiographical show follows the story of a young gay man with cerebral palsy who decides to make the most of his life, on his own terms. The show is an adaptation of O'Connell's 2015 memoir I'm Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves. It's a shame that it got canceled because the dramedy had great reviews for its first season (and later for the second). On the bright side, Special did manage to finish its story with the second season getting full half-hour episodes instead of 15-minute ones like it had in Season 1. Special has a total of 16 episodes spread across two seasons and was canceled in March 2021.

Castlevania

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Image via Netflix

Canceled in April 2021, Castlevania is a great show. An adult animated adaptation of the video game series of the same name, the show ran for three great seasons on Netflix before it was announced that Season 4 would be its last outing. The series follows an unlikely trio of heroes who unite to take on Dracula and his vampire minions. This dark and brilliantly created show has been a popular title on Netflix for years and even though it's over, the story will go on. Netflix is already working on a sequel series set during the French Revolution that follows the adventures of a latter generation. Right now, it's unclear whether the project will actually move forward or not but you can still watch the show's four-season run on the service for some great action, dry humor, and stunning visuals.

The Duchess

Image via Netflix

Katherine Ryan's scripted comedy debut, The Duchess is a mom-edy that's... well, to be honest, it's exactly what you'd expect from its genre. The show follows Katherine, a single mom living in London who navigates motherhood and a new relationship while considering having a second child with her former boy band member ex. While it has its moments, The Duchess fell pretty flat on its release and was canceled after just one season.

Zero Chill

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Image via Netflix

Another British show that got the boot in 2021, Zero Chill is a teen drama following the lives of twins, one of whom is a figure skater and the other an ice hockey player. The show is centered on the figure skater, Kayla MacBentley (Grace Beedie), who struggles to cope when her family decides to move to England from Canada after her brother gets into a prestigious hockey academy. Zero Chill performed decently with the audience but it still didn't manage to escape getting canceled after a single season.

Julie and the Phantoms

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Image via Netflix

Executive produced by Kenny Ortega and created by Dan Cross and David Hoge, Julie and the Phantoms is actually a pretty delightful show. A supernatural musical comedy, the series stars Madison Reyes as Julie Molina, a high school musician who forms a band with the spirits of a deceased band from 1995. Based on the Brazilian series Julie e os Fantasmast, it's a fun, feel-good watch with just the right mix of jokes and emotion. Still, the Phantoms were forced to make their opener their swan song when Netflix canceled the show in December 2021, over a year after the first season's release.