Eight Classic Shows Netflix Would Have Cancelled Today

Netflix has developed a reputation for killing off shows after a season or two, letting them end on cliffhangers, and as such, it is populating its library with a host of shows that aren’t worth starting because they have no ending. Like reading a book that ends after the first eight chapters with the rest fed through a shredder.

It’s gotten a lot of people thinking that with Netflix’s absurd standards about viewership and budget and other unknowable internal metrics, what classic shows would have been killed under their watch? Quite a few, I imagine, given how long many have taken to spool up into classics, an opportunity Netflix does not allow dozens and dozens of its own series.

1. The Office, cancelled after season 1 – An experiment in adapting the UK version, one that Netflix subscribers are binging in just two hours for its six episode season. Not as good as the original, not worth investing in further. Cancelled.

2. Parks and Recreation, cancelled after season 1 – And this, a knock-off of The Office itself? Season 1 does not resonate with viewers. Compares unfavorably to the original. Lacks staying power and doesn’t appeal to global markets. Cancelled.

3. Breaking Bad, cancelled after season 2 – After a solid but unsteady season 1, season 2 loses the plot with a strange airplane crash storyline. Decent numbers but two seasons is probably enough, and audiences should be able to draw their own conclusions about how it ends. Season 3 won’t attract any new Netflix subscribers, so not worth continued investment. Cancelled.

4. Game of Thrones, cancelled after season 2 – High scores from critics and audiences for season 1, a gorgeous, faithful recreation of the books, even if everyone is a bit confused about who everyone is. But it’s just too expensive. Season 2 greenlit for six episodes instead of ten at half the budget. Audiences complain about quality drop. Viewership falls, word of mouth ends. It started off so promising. Cancelled.

5. Supernatural, cancelled after season 3 – Middling viewership, but audiences seem to like the show the more time goes on. But it’s hard to justify any more seasons when season 2 only debuted at #4 on the top 10 and fell quickly. A mass audience campaign to save the series leads Netflix to benevolently grant it a shortened six episodes final third season to wrap up Sam and Dean’s adventures.

6. The Wire, cancelled after season 1 – 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 97% audience score for season 1. But no one is watching. Debuted at #8 in the top 10. Dropped off quickly. Can’t justify another season with those metrics. Cancelled.

7. The Walking Dead, cancelled after season 2 – Big, high profile debut for season 1, comes in at #1, stays there for two weeks. But the budget is bloated, and has to be cut way down for season 2. Audiences say the farm is too boring. Show has fewer eyeballs on it now. Interest fading. Seasonal 3 renewal debated but ultimately decide to call it a “Limited Series” and end it. Cancelled.

8. Seinfeld, cancelled after season 1 – Who is the target demo for this, uptight New Yorkers? Too narrow a band. Audience drop off after the first string of underwhelming episodes is sharp. Can’t see this one doing much, even for the cost. Cancelled.

So this is a joke, but…not a joke. Given how cavalier Netflix is with cancelations, it really is easy to imagine how past shows that took a while to get going or weren’t catering to the right target audience wouldn’t have survived in present day there. But unlike broadcast TV, it’s not like these dead shows stop airing, they still existing on the service making up half its library, just sitting there unfinished until the end of time. Or until Netflix pulls a Warner Bros. and erases them completely so they don’t have to pay royalties.

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