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Mountains of original content have done wonders for Netflix viewership, with originals accounting for 40% of the entire US content library. And it's no wonder when Netflix Originals receive an average of 11.5% higher ratings than the rest of their content. Though the streaming giant undeniably knows how to impress its viewers, numbers don't always match sentiments - and cancellations are inevitable.
When this happens to popular shows, fans rally and petition hoping they'll generate enough hype for their favorite show's renewal. 2021 was a terrible year for fan-favorites cancellations, least of all for the sheer number of them. Navigating broken promises, harsh criticisms, and ignored performance metrics, fans have been doing the leg work to bring their obsessions back to the screen.
Kim's Convenience
Sitcom Kim's Convenience gained instant popularity in 2016, with the first season boasting a 100% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Based on a play written by co-creator Ins Choi, the sitcom is about a Korean-Canadian family running a Toronto convenience store. The program received critical acclaim for its hilarious and refreshing take on immigrant family life.
The network confirmed the series for six seasons until co-creators Ins Choi and Kevin White announced they were leaving the project, prompting the network to cut the series one season short to maintain its authenticity. Over 8000 fans signed a petition to save the show, and actor Bowen Yang shouted "save Kim's Convenience!" at the end of a rant on Saturday Night Live.
Country Comfort
Netflix's Country Comfort had all the southern charm a heartfelt country comedy could need - a ruggedly handsome father of five, a down-and-out country ballad singing nanny, and a dusty ranch on the frontier. Themes of hope, faith, and family made for a southern-style, power ballad-scored Sound of Music to the tune of a 7/10 rating on IMDb.
Despite winning a Primetime Emmy, the show failed to strike a chord with Netflix executives and was put out to pasture after only one season. Loyal fans had that achy-breaky feeling when they heard the news, but a petition with 500 signatures and social media pleas for renewal on Twitter fell on deaf ears at Netflix.
Julie And The Phantoms
Top-rated series Julie And The Phantoms was more than its 8.7/10 on IMDb and 98% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This G-rated delight managed to balance goofy ghosts from 1995 with a young girl's creative lament in the wake of her mother's death. This wholesome show was beloved by fans who waited in great anticipation for season two.
Unfortunately for them, Netflix announced the show's cancellation in December 2021. Fans didn't want a bar of Netflix's decision, and over 100,000 signed a petition for its renewal. But they didn't stop there; fans banded together to start a campaign they called "The Orpheum Tour" and utilized social media, posters, and even billboards to convince Netflix to renew it.
Cursed
The ten-episode drama Cursed was based on Arthurian myth. It debuted in 2021 to retell the legend of "The Lady of the Lake." The fantasy series opened to mixed reviews from critics and audiences with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 62%. Still, it gained a loyal fanbase, especially for some of the more attractive characters the show brought to viewers' screens.
Unfortunately, Netflix was not so charmed and doomed the series to cancellation after only a single season run. Netflix cursed fans of the show to wander the earth without resolution for the cliffhangers the show ended on.
Bonding
The controversial series Bonding, about a Psychology student who spends her nights as a dominatrix, received criticism and fans during its two-season run. The raunchy subject matter is based on creator Rightor Doyle's real-life experiences and received 71% critics and 78% audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.
Netflix canceled the show in 2021 amidst the underperformance of the second season and criticism that the show drew from the BDSM community. Despite hopeful fans pining for a third season, the harsh criticisms may have forced Netflix's hand and made the potential for renewal impossible. However, Rightor Doyle is working on other projects at Netflix.
Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop might be the most famous example of fan-favorite cancellations in Netflix's recent history. The show was a live-action reboot of a popular anime series centered around a group of space-based bounty hunters. With high production value, fan anticipation, and proven source material, fans never doubted Cowboy Bebop's success.
That was until 2021, when Netflix announced its cancellation less than a month after it aired, making it the fastest canceled original series in Netflix history. A respectable 150,000 signatures on a petition to renew the show did not reflect a relatively low Rotten Tomatoes rating of 56%.
Dash & Lily
Dash & Lily made its debut in the holiday season of 2020 as a Christmas-based romantic comedy. Based on a series of books by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan, the love story warmed viewers' hearts, including those of critics that gave it a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The series went on to win a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing.
Those that discovered the hidden gem were left heartbroken by the news of the show's cancellation. When the news hit, romantics everywhere gave an outpouring of love on social media. The following Christmas, many commented that without the authentic chemistry of Dash & Lily, it simply didn't feel like the holidays. Netflix has left this love, tragically, unrequited.
Jupiter's Legacy
Netflix's superhero series Jupiter's Legacy had a supersized budget of around $200 million. Though there was criticism for some dodgy costume design (the wigs, as evident in the photo above), audiences scored the series at 73% on Rotten Tomatoes. The series is the first of at least thirteen Millarworld comic book adaptations that Netflix has in the works.
Netflix deemed the show a super flop and canceled it after only one eight-episode season. Fans of the show criticized Netflix for pulling the plug early, arguing the acclaimed source material gave it limitless potential. With the Millarworld contract costing Netflix $30 million in the first place, all that remains as the series' legacy is a massive bill.
The Last Kingdom
Spanning over five seasons, The Last Kingdom gave fans plenty of story investment opportunities. The series centered around Vikings in the 9th century as they built what would become England. Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Series books inspired the show, providing enough material for at least one or two seasons more.
However, in 2021 Netflix spilled the tea that The Last Kingdom's fifth season would be the last. Nearly 25,000 outraged fans of the books and show alike signed a petition to renew the series for a sixth season. While Netflix didn't meet their demands, fans took solace in the announcement of a feature film that offers at least some closure.
Hit & Run
Israeli-American mystery-thriller Hit & Run had all the best aspects of a good thriller as it followed an Israeli man, Segev Azulai (Lior Raz), investigating his wife's hit-and-run murder between Tel-Aviv and New York. The show received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike on Rotten Tomatoes with 82% and 72% average scores, respectively.
Netflix canceled the show after one season on a cliffhanger, leaving fans as they left Segev - with more questions than answers. Fans condemned Netflix for pulling the plug too early and leaving their newly beloved characters without closure.