Netflix started the streaming revolution in 2007 and has remained the undisputed titan of the industry ever since.
The service has produced some of the biggest hits of the past decade, including Stranger Things, Bridgerton, Love is Blind, Squid Game and Bird Box.
However, for every blockbuster Netflix has produced, there are even more shows that either failed to launch or maintain their initial popularity.
Many of the streamer’s canceled shows have received critical acclaim and developed loyal fanbases, but still got the ax for various reasons.
Some simply couldn’t attract enough subscribers, while others were hit by sky-high budgets or unexpected production issues.
Here, DailyMail.com has looked back at some Netflix shows that disappeared too soon and deserve a comeback.
David Fincher’s Mindhunter (pictured) is widely regarded as one of the most unfairly canceled shows ever to hit Netflix
Mindhunter
Among cinephiles, David Fincher’s Mindhunter is widely regarded as the most unfairly canceled Netflix series ever.
Based on the 1995 true crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, the psychological thriller followed FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench along with psychologist Wendy Carr as they run the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit.
In addition to dealing with iconic killers like David Berkowitz and Charles Manson, the crew also had to deal with their relationships with each other and their complicated personal lives outside of work.
Mindhunter premiered in 2017 and was praised by critics for its cinematic visuals and rich character development, ultimately ranking as one of the best shows of the 2010s.
Unfortunately, the series was indefinitely shelved shortly after the second season aired in 2019, and in February 2023, Fincher officially confirmed that the series had been canceled due to budget and viewership issues.
GLOW
Female wrestling comedy GLOW (pictured) received praise from critics and fans alike, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the film from being canceled
Based on the now-defunct wrestling promotion Beautiful Ladies of Wrestling, GLOW followed the personal and professional lives of female wrestlers as they fought in and out of the ring.
The comedy-drama, which premiered in 2017, quickly became one of the most beloved shows on the platform thanks to its stellar cast, nostalgic ’80s period, and themes of female empowerment.
Although GLOW never achieved record numbers for Netflix, it was a big hit with critics and was able to build a diehard fanbase online.
A fourth and final season was planned in 2020, but filming restrictions due to the Covid pandemic halted production early in filming.
Netflix ultimately made the decision to pull the plug on the show, but fans have refused to let GLOW go and a Change.org petition to save the series currently has over 21,000 signatures.
The Association
In 2019, Netflix was forced to ax teen drama The Society (pictured) after just one season when Covid restrictions affected production of a planned second season
GLOW wasn’t the only series to get the ax due to the Covid pandemic.
In 2019, the streaming giant was forced to ax teen drama The Society after just one season when Covid restrictions affected production of a planned second episode.
The mystery series followed a group of teenagers who must learn how to run their own community after the population of their small town seems to disappear overnight.
“We have made the difficult decision not to move forward with the second seasons of The Society and I Am Not Okay With This,” Netflix said in a statement at the time.
“We are disappointed that we have to make these decisions due to circumstances caused by COVID.”
The Sun brothers
Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar win wasn’t enough to save Brothers Sun (pictured) from being axed after just one season
Michelle Yeoh may have won an Academy Award last year for Everything Everywhere All at Once, but it wasn’t enough to save her Netflix series The Brothers Sun.
The action-packed series was developed by TV king Brad Falchuk as part of his eight-figure Netflix deal, so expectations were high that it would be a hit.
Although the series received good reviews and created a lot of buzz following Yeoh’s Oscar win, Netflix decided to end the series in March after just one season.
“My heart is broken… and I find it so hard to understand why,” Yeoh said at the time.
“However, I am so proud of the My Brothers Sun family and what we have presented to the world. Heads up.”
Sentence8
Sense8 (pictured) has developed a huge cult following and fandom, despite only being on Netflix for two seasons
One of the most talked about shows to hit Netflix in the past decade is the science fiction drama Sense8.
Created by The Wachowskis (The Matrix franchise) and J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon5), Sense8 was praised for its focus on diversity, especially when it came to LGBTQ characters.
When Netflix canceled the series in 2017 after just two seasons, fan demand to bring the series back was so strong that the streamer produced a two-and-a-half-hour series finale in 2018.
There is talk of a possible Sense8 revival, including from star Miguel Ángel Silvestre, but for now the series appears to be on ice.
The Dark Crystal: An Age of Resistance
The critically acclaimed series, based on the 1982 Jim Henson film The Dark Crystal, was praised by critics, but was canceled anyway
One of the lesser-known shows to be canceled on the streamer is The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
The series, which served as a prequel to the 1982 Jim Henson film The Dark Crystal, wowed audiences and critics alike in 2019 with its mix of sleek CGI and incredible practical effects.
Vulture called it a “stunning artistic achievement,” while RogerEbert.com called it “one of the greatest fantasy epics of all time.”
An Emmy win followed in 2020 and the makers discussed a possible second season, but Netflix ultimately decided to drop it.
Despite this, The Jim Henson Company has been open about their desire to continue the show – whether it’s on Netflix or elsewhere.
Selling Tampa
The cast of Selling Tampa accused viewers of racism after their spin-off was canceled after just one season
Although originally known for scripted TV dramas and documentaries, Netflix scored their first major reality TV hit in 2019 with Selling Sunset.
The glossy series, produced by The Hills’ Adam DiVello, follows the glamorous and catty staff of a luxury real estate agency in Los Angeles as they navigate their personal and professional lives.
Netflix has since divided the show into two spinoffs, starting with Selling Tampa in 2021 and Selling the OC in 2022.
Although the OC spinoff was a big hit, Tampa struggled to attract viewers and was canceled after just one season.
Reality TV fans were disappointed to see the ending of Selling Tampa, as the all-black female cast brought more diversity to the franchise.
In a 2022 interview, cast member Juawana Colbert shared Page six that racism may have contributed to it ending so quickly.
‘If they show us [black women] in a different light – when we bicker, fight and swear – they get a season 2 and season 3, but that’s not what we showed,” she said.
“I feel like we weren’t given a second chance, possibly because of what we represented as minority women.”
The Santa Clarita Diet
Just before making it big with her self-titled talk show, Drew Barrymore was busy as the star of the bizarre horror comedy The Santa Clarita Diet
Just before she made it big with her self-titled talk show, Drew Barrymore was busy as the star of the bizarre horror comedy The Santa Clarita Diet.
The series, which lasted three seasons, starred Barrymore as a real estate agent who discovers she is turning into a zombie.
She is then tasked with balancing being a wife, mother and businesswoman with her new need for human flesh.
Despite its twisted premise, the series was loved by fans for its originality, quirky style and morbid humor.
The third season received a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but that wasn’t enough to prevent it from being canceled.