Netflix cancels a promising big-name show before it’s even finished
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Netflix, once notorious for its tendency to green-light almost everything, canned a significant comedy object before it had a chance to see the light of day.
Titled Bad Crimes, the show is described by: Variety (opens in new tab) as a “dark comedy procedurally after Kara (Nicole Byer) and Jennie (Lauren Lapkus), two FBI agents who travel across the country solving horrific crimes while juggling their friendship, career aspirations, and as many men as possible.”
Lauren Lapkus has previously appeared in Big Bang Theory and Jurassic World, while Nicole Byer appeared in Brooklyn 99 and underrated Netflix’s own criminal Nailed It! bake show. The animated comedy was reportedly halfway through production when Netflix executives decided to pull the plug. The streaming giant confirmed a series order of the show in January 2022.
The outlet also reports that Netflix cited “creative” reasons behind the cancellation, suggesting the company’s high-ups lacked confidence in the show’s chances — though it sounds like the Bad Crimes production team is shopping for another one. TV streaming service to finish the show. function.
There was certainly a lot of comedic royalty associated with the project, with Greg Daniels (The Office, Upload), Mike Judge (King of the Hill), and Erica Hayes (Big Mouth) all involved. And given Netflix’s penchant for adult animated comedies – BoJack Horseman, The Midnight Gospel, Big Mouth, and the like – it’s unfortunate to see a potential contender scrapped before viewers had a chance to see it.
Closed for business
It hasn’t been the rosiest year for Netflix. The streaming service has laid off staff, faced declining subscriber numbers and seen investor confidence in the stock market plummet.
We’re a long way from the early days of online streaming, when Netflix was synonymous with the industry and it seemed impossible for challengers to catch up. Now, though, Disney Plus is flying ahead, eating into Netflix’s business and hosting the biggest franchises of the day: Marvel, Star Wars, Disney-Pixar, and now even the classic British export Doctor Who.
The return of the mega-hit Stranger Things has helped stabilize Netflix’s fortunes for now, as the service has added 2.4 million subscribers after months of consistent decline. But it’s clear that, between Netflix’s crackdown on account-sharing and the imminent introduction of an ad-supported subscription tier, the company has a lot more to do with where it spends its resources.
Anyway, let’s hope Bad Crimes finds a home elsewhere. I hear that Disney Plus has some money to spend?