Everything Netflix has canceled in 2020 so far

Netflix has been having an amazing run thus far, with many of its original series receiving accolades, including Emmy nominations and wins. But not every series Netflix touches turns to gold.

While the streaming service does not typically release viewership numbers, it’s safe to say that the series Netflix canceled this year did not pull in the numbers it had hoped. Or, in some cases, the shows simply ran their course. Nonetheless, some of the recently canceled series might be worth watching to decide for yourself.

Recommended Videos

Further reading

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Order

This fantasy series had a small but dedicated following that helped it get renewed for a second season. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm couldn’t secure a third season. The story follows Belgrave University student Jack Morton as he joins a fabled secret society, the Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose, thrusting him into a world of magic, monsters, and intrigue. As Jack sets out to avenge his mother’s death, he finds himself caught in the middle of an underground battle between werewolves and dark magicians.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

GLOW

One of the biggest surprise cancellations of 2020, GLOW was already in production on its fourth season when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Considering this show about women’s wrestling pretty much required hand-to-hand contact in a time when that was stridently discouraged, Netflix decided to simply put a not-so-shiny bow on an extremely shiny show after three seasons. Despite the unplanned ending, GLOW is a great watch — no conclusion needed.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Society

This modern take on Lord of the Flies lasted just one season after Netflix renewed, then changed its mind on a second season. The first season, following a group of Connecticut high schoolers who return from a camping trip to discover all of the adults have disappeared, received strong reviews. Unfortunately, fans will have to live with just one season and a heck of a cliffhanger.

Image via Netflix

I Am Not Okay With This

Netflix appeared to have a hit on its hands with this satirical twist on the superhero genre in which a teenage outcast suddenly discovers superpowers that she is extremely not okay with. The fantasy hailed from the team behind another Netflix twisted teen hit, The End of the F***ing World, and was expecting to get a second season before the pandemic hit.

Tina Rowden / Netflix

Teenage Bounty Hunters

Although the first season received great reviews, Teenage Bounty Hunters didn’t quite resonate with audiences enough to justify a second season. The teen action-comedy starred Maddie Phillips and Anjelica Bette Fellini as ordinary teenage twins who just so happen to moonlight as bounty hunters.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

The Emmy-winning fantasy series from the Jim Henson Company works pretty well as a single season, so it’s not too surprising that it didn’t get renewed for a second. Still, with extraordinary puppet work and a compelling plot that expanded an already classic story, it’s unfortunate that Netflix didn’t invest more in this award-winning show.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Altered Carbon

One of Netflix’s most ambitious shows, Altered Carbon is a cyberpunk noir epic based on Richard K. Morgan’s classic novel of the same name. Joel Kinnaman stars in the first season as Takeshi Kovacs — or, that is, the body of Takeshi Kovacs. You see, in the future, humanity has conquered death by uploading their consciousnesses to hard drives called “stacks” that are inserted into bodies, called “sleeves.” Kinnaman plays an upgraded sleeve, inhabited by Kovacs after a wealthy businessman boots him up after centuries on ice in order to solve a murder. The story continues in season 2 with Anthony Mackie playing Kovacs, but Netflix opted not to pursue a season 3. You can, however, delve even deeper into the world with a new animated series.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj

Patriot Act was in some ways Netflix’s Daily Show, except with a more intense focus on individual issues. Host Hasan Minhaj has an incredible knack for explaining complicated, controversial issues with compassion and caustic wit for both sides. Patriot Act was widely acclaimed and beloved, which is why it provoked an outcry from comedy fans when it was surprisingly canceled in August 2020.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Both a spin-off of The CW’s currently-airing Riverdale and a revamp of a classic ’90s TV character, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina stood strong for four seasons before Netflix gave it the ax. While some fans hoped to see an epic crossover event between RiverdaleSabrina, and another upcoming spinoff, Katy Keene, it appears they’ll be disappointed.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Turn Up Charlie

One would think that with Idris Elba behind this series, both as a co-creator and star, it would be ratings gold. But sadly, Netflix put an end to the British comedy after just a single season of eight episodes. The series tells the story of Charlie, a disc jockey and lifelong bachelor who somehow ends up becoming the nanny for the bratty daughter of his famous friend Sara (Piper Perabo). It premiered in 2019 and was criticized for poor writing and predictable plot twists. But Elba’s performance might make it palatable.

Netflix

Merry Happy Whatever

Even Dennis Quaid couldn’t save this 2019 comedy, which only lasted a single season of eight episodes. Quaid played Don Quinn, a conservative patriarch and deputy sheriff who is never happy with the partners his kids bring home. Most recently, that includes his youngest daughter Emmy’s (Bridgit Mendler) new beau, a struggling musician named Matt (Brent Morin). The series takes place over a one-week period during Christmas, as the title suggests. Ashley Tisdale also stars as Kayla, Don’s closeted middle daughter.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

October Faction

Another one-season series, this supernatural drama premiered in January but the cancellation was announced just two months later. The story centered around Fred and Deloris, who Netflix describes as “globetrotting monster hunters.” While residing in upstate New York, the couple and their two teenage children attempt to hide their true identities along with the existence of a secret organization to which they belong. The reviews aren’t promising, with the Rotten Tomatoes aggregate critic rating at 33%. But given that not many weighed in with their opinions, it could very well be that the series got buried by algorithms, and subscribers didn’t dig deep enough to find the show.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

V-Wars

Based on the novel series by Jonathan Maberry, Ian Somerhalder stars in this sci-fi horror about a physician-scientist Dr. Luther Swann and his best friend Michael Fayne (Adrian Holmes) who are struggling to deal with a deadly outbreak and a potential war between humans and vampires. Tackling climate change and a virus that turns people into vampires sounds like a recipe for success, but it wasn’t enough. Viewers didn’t bite, and the 2019 series only lasted one season of 10 episodes.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Messiah

With a lot of promise and decent reviews, why did this 2019 series get canceled after just one season? Some speculate that it was due to outcry by deeply religious communities that felt the series delved too deep into controversial religious content. Another reason could be the expense of filming in so many locations around the world. Nonetheless, the story about a mesmerizing young man who calls himself Al-Masih (Mehdi Dehbi) and proclaims to be the messiah won’t continue. The first season centered around Al-Masih presumably performing miracles and amassing a large group of followers. However, some non-believers, including CIA officers Aviram Dahan (Tomer Sisley) and Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan), didn’t buy his presumed act and believed he was a con man, though even they had their doubts.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

AJ and the Queen

RuPaul’s Drag Race has been tremendously successful, but he couldn’t replicate that experience with this comedy-drama, which premiered in 2020 and was canceled after a 10-episode first season. In it, RuPaul stars as Ruby Red, a drag queen who travels across the U.S. in her RV, doing club gigs along the way. All the while, she is accompanied by AJ, a tough, orphaned 10-year-old stowaway with whom she strikes an unlikely friendship. The series meant well and was applauded for its themes of love and acceptance. But it just didn’t pull in the numbers to keep going.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Insatiable

This dark comedy-drama is based on the 2014 New York Times article “The Pageant King of Alabama” by Jeff Chu. Teenager Patty Bladell (Debby Ryan) has dealt with weight issues, but when an accident and mandatory three-month liquid diet lead to her quickly shedding pounds, she seeks revenge on those who bullied her for being overweight. Meanwhile, she’s noticed by a civil lawyer and beauty pageant coach who are convinced they can turn her into a beauty queen. The series faced controversy when it was released in 2018, including a Change.org petition calling for a cancellation and accusing the series of “fat shaming.” Despite the abysmal reviews (by critics, at least) and public outcry, the show lasted for two seasons.

Christos Kalohoridis / Netflix

Spinning Out

It took just a month for Netflix to cancel this 2020 drama about a young ice skater named Kat Baker (Kaya Scodelario) who, after getting injured and believing her career is over, gets a second chance to work as a pairs skater. She still has a secret mental illness that plagues her and her family and presents another obstacle for her journey to the top. While battling to keep this a secret, she and her bad-boy partner Justin (Evan Roderick) try to fight their way to the Olympics.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Soundtrack

Netflix tried its hand at the musical genre with this drama, debuting in 2019, about love stories connecting various people in Los Angeles through, you guessed it, music. Characters range from Sam (Paul James), a widower with a son, to Nelli (Callie Hernandez), the aspiring artist, and Joanna (Jenna Dewan), a social worker and former dancer. Sadly, the music lost its rhythm ten episodes in and producers had to cancel the show. Critics may have thought it was a bust, but polls indicate that viewers seemed to love the show.

Netflix

BoJack Horseman

The most successful series on this list, this adult animated comedy-drama reached its end this year after six seasons, with the final season having streamed in January. The show stars Will Arnett as BoJack, a talking-horse who faded out of sitcom fame and is desperately trying to redeem his name. The star-studded cast also includes Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, and Aaron Paul. The series earned two Primetime Emmy Award nominations through its run. A review from Rolling Stone called it “phenomenal” and named the show among the 50 best of the 2010s.

Editors' Recommendations

Christine has decades of experience in trade and consumer journalism. While she started her career writing exclusively about…
Mending the Line is Netflix’s most-watched movie right now. Here’s why you should watch it

There's a new No. 1 film on top of the list of the most popular movies on Netflix. And it's not a thriller like Mel Gibson's Over the Line, or an action fantasy like Damsel. Instead, this week's most popular film on Netflix is Mending the Line, a low-budget film that stands apart from the standard streaming movies. And its budget doesn't get in the way of telling an extremely moving and emotional story.

Mending the Line had so little fanfare compared to other movies that it's genuinely surprising how quickly it found the type of audience on Netflix that eluded the film during its initial release in 2022. If you're looking to pick out something to see on your next movie night, these are the three reasons why you should watch Mending the Line on Netflix. You may even decide to take up fly fishing afterward.
Mending the Line has a fantastic cast

Read more
Like the hit Netflix show Homicide New York? Then watch these 3 true crime shows now

Thanks in large part to its hugely familiar setting, Homicide New York has been a huge success since it premiered on Netflix. The series follows some of the grisliest crimes that have taken place in America's largest city.

If you're looking for more great true crime that's in a similar vein after you've consumed all of Homicide, though, then we've got a couple of shows that might fit the bill. These are three great true crime shows you should check out if you liked Homicide New York.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark (2020)
I'll Be Gone In the Dark (2020): Official Trailer | HBO

Read more
The Resident is a hit on Netflix now. Watch these 3 great shows that are just like it

For all of its gloss and sheen, one of the things that sets The Resident apart is its willingness to showcase some of the harsher realities of American healthcare. On The Resident, medicine is both the work of treating patients and a business, and it's that balance that makes the show so compelling.

If you've already worked your way through every available episode of The Resident now that the show is streaming on Netflix, though, you may be looking for some other great medical dramas that work in a similar mode. Lucky for you, we've found three such shows that break the mold, in one or another, for what shows about doctors can look like.
Nurse Jackie (2009-2015)
NURSE JACKIE - Official Trailer

Read more