11 cancelled Netflix shows that we’d love to see make a comeback

Netflix may be a consistent source of top-quality television series, but for every smash hit (think Wednesday and Stranger Things), there are dozens of shows that don’t receive the same heady heights of attention and find themselves quietly dropped by Netflix.

In the past, passionate fans have been so incensed by Netflix’s decisions they’ve launched online petitions to try and secure at least one more set of episodes. Here are some of Netflix’s very best shows that deserve to make another outing….

1. I Am Not Okay With This

Fans were left furious after this American coming-of-age series, based on Charles Forsman’s graphic novel, was cancelled after just one season. The decision to can the show was due to unexpected budget increases after the pandemic, said Deadline. It means that there are just seven episodes of the black comedy out there to enjoy.

2. White Lines

Despite its initial popularity, the sun-drenched mystery drama, set on the party island of Ibiza and fuelled by cocaine and orgies, did not return for a second series.

The show followed Zoe, who flew in from Manchester to find out who was responsible for the death of her brother, a DJ called Axel, who went missing 20 years ago.

While the series, penned by Money Heist writer Alex Pina, wraps up events in a neat little bow after 10 episodes, fans felt there was still scope for the story to go further.

However, the show was cancelled, and Daniel Mays, who played DJ Marcus, confirmed the news on Instagram.

“Following the reports in the press over the past couple of days and for all those asking me on here, it’s with a heavy heart I post the White Lines season 2 ship has well and truly sailed,” he wrote. "Huge thanks, respect and admiration to Netflix for the ride of a lifetime."

3. Spinning Out

The figure-skating drama starred Kaya Scodelario as Kat Baker, a high-level skater who is considering quitting the profession following a dangerous fall. She then seizes an opportunity to continue her career as a pairs skater with talented bad-boy partner Justin Davis (Evan Roderick), but risks exposing her fiercely private bipolar disorder.

Released hot on the heels of the success of I, Tonya, many believed Spinning Out was going to be Netflix’s next biggest hit. However, the streaming service chose to drop the option of a second series just one month after its release.

A Change.org petition was launched titled "Fans Demand the Renewal of Netflix's 'Spinning Out' for a Second Season." As petitioner Victoria Cotaj noted:

"Many fans would agree, Spinning Out presents many issues we rarely get a glimpse of on TV today. It's refreshing to see such a well-done series on a sport (figure skating), which is most often overlooked in itself while including the raw and intense struggles that can come along with it. This show brought awareness to bipolar disorder, depression, sexual assault, racial inequality, the power of the wealthy, cultural stereotypes and so much more."

4. The OA

The mind-bending supernatural drama centred around the reappearance of Prairie Johnson, a blind woman who has been missing for seven years who has returned with full vision, and now calls herself The OA.

Having originally been planned to span five seasons, the show’s sudden cancellation after season two disappointed fans, particularly after Netflix’s vice president of original content Cindy Holland praised the show before the second series dropped. That meant it ended on a particularly bizarre note, even by the OA’s standards – with an unexplainable cliffhanger that will never have a chance to be wrapped up.

The cancellation prompted superfans to launch a petition titled Save The OA, which gained a great deal of traction after it trended worldwide on Twitter.

Jason Isaacs, who starred as Johnson’s former captor Hap, thanked fans for their efforts to get the show back on screen, adding “millions of people are devoted” to bringing the show back to screen and the campaign is “extraordinary”.

"I hope we get to make some more but I don't see how it's going to happen," he said on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch.

"But even the fact that there are two seasons of this amazing show to watch, the great thing about Netflix is that it never goes away. I suggest people watch it. If you haven't seen it, you'll never seen anything as original in your life. It's phenomenal."

5. Jessica Jones

Despite being popular with fans, Marvel spin-off Jessica Jones, which told the story of a superhero who became a private investigator after accidentally killing someone, was cancelled in February 2019.

The series, which starred Krysten Ritter as the titular character and David Tennant as Kilgrave, received a load of rave reviews for its gritty and realistic portrayal of a variety of different topics including sexual assault and mental health, but ran for just three seasons.

Some fans mused that the launch of Disney Plus – which is now home to a number of Marvel titles – was the reason behind the cancellation. However, a source told The Wrap that the shows didn't have enough viewers to justify the high costs of making them.

Speaking about the show’s cancellation, Ritter wrote on Instagram: “It has been a dream to play Jessica alongside my amazing cast and the best crew in the business for these past five years. I am so grateful for every second of it. We have THE BEST fans. You guys mean the world to me and I appreciate you beyond words.”

6. The Chair

This series about a professor at an American university had the potential to go far. Sandra Oh, who played Ji-Yoon Kim, a new English department chair, had become one of TV’s leading ladies after starring in Killing Eve (2018–2022). Then, the series was co-created by writer and actor Amanda Peet, who is married to screenwriter extraordinaire David Benioff (Game of Thrones), alongside Harvard scholar and essayist Annie Julia Wyman. Bob Balaban and Holland Taylor also had roles in the show, while Grammy-winning composer Stephanie Economou made the show’s music.

Yet The Chair was cancelled after just one season of six episodes. This despite The Guardian saying “Sandra Oh is first class in moreish university satire... It’s a great achievement that none of this feels worthy or didactic. It feels like a genuine exploration, a dramatised discussion of intergenerational differences and divides that few are seeking to take the heat out of and examine with real interest”.

7. Atypical

After four seasons, Netflix’s heartfelt comedy Atypical came to a close in 2021. For those who didn’t tune in, Atypical follows Sam, a teenager on the autism spectrum, who has decided he is ready for romance. In order to start dating – and hopefully find love – Sam will need to be more independent, which is something the rest of his family will have to adapt to.

Some fans of the show were happy for Atypical to draw to a proper close, but others felt there was still plenty of scope to be explored.

8. Mindhunter

Mindhunter was put on indefinite hiatus in January 2020, and then executive producer David Fincher confirmed the season was over in February this year.

“I’m very proud of the first two seasons. But it’s a very expensive show and, in the eyes of Netflix, we didn’t attract enough of an audience to justify such an investment,” Fincher said in Forbes. “I don’t blame them, they took risks to get the show off the ground... It’s a blessing to be able to work with people who are capable of boldness. The day our desires are not the same, we have to be honest about parting ways.”

Mindhunter follows the very early days of criminal psychology and profiling at the FBI in the Seventies and Eighties, and is as gory and dark as it is deliciously fascinating. Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany played special agents who launch a project to better understand the mind of serial killers. It would have been fascinating to follow our characters as they develop their scientific theories to form the basis of criminology which is so well-practised today.

9. The Get Down

It was one of Netflix’s most-anticipated original series when it was announced in 2016, and there was good reason for all the hype: the show was a big budget hip-hop musical brought to life by Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann.

But the show failed to become a hit. The hugely pricey series faced production issues that saw the number of episodes cut from 13 to 11. While Netflix never released the official viewing figures, the series was cancelled after one series.

Luhrmann himself spoke out on the show’s cancellation, writing on Netflix: “The simple truth is, I make movies. And the thing with movies is, that when you direct them, there can be nothing else in your life.

“As for the real future of the show, the spirit of The Get Down, and the story it has begun to tell... it has its own life. One that lives on today and will continue to be told somewhere, somehow, because of you, the fans and the supporters.”

10. Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj

The political and social commentary show, which was well received by critics and viewers alike, was unexpectedly cancelled after six series in 2020. With its satirical yet still oddly sincere look at topical issues, it seemed an odd time for the show to go off air – there just seemed to be so much material in the news for Minhaj to work through.

Speaking about the show, Minhaj said: “What a run. I got to work with the best writers, producers, researchers, and animators in the game.

“My two babies were born and grew up with the show. [Thank you] to Netflix and everyone who watched... Now it’s time to return these screens to Best Buy.”

11. 1899

1899 was set up to be a huge success. It was created by the duo behind the Netflix series Dark – which had won widespread critical acclaim – and drew particular interest for having its cast speak different languages. 1899 told the story of a series of terrible happenings onboard a migrant ship after it comes across an abandoned ghost ship in the Atlantic.

But the multilingual mystery series somewhat failed to launch. Despite winning a passionate fanbase, some critics panned the series for trying to do too much.

In a shared statement, creators Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar said: “With a heavy heart we have to tell you that 1899 will not be renewed. We would have loved to finish this incredible journey with a 2nd and 3rd season as we did with Dark. But sometimes things don’t turn out the way you planned. That’s life.

“We know this will disappoint millions of fans out there. But we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts that you were a part of this wonderful adventure. We love you. Never forget.”