Everyone loves a good show. Especially when streaming platforms have grown popular over the years, more and more people have discovered new films or shows that get them hooked. Some even binge-watch an entire season of their favorite shows to relax and have fun over the weekend. One of the most popular streaming platforms today is Netflix, and it’s home to a lot of iconic shows that they have distributed themselves. 

However, among the greatest original series, some did not last long enough the way show creators have intended them to be. Unfortunately, even the most interesting, critically-acclaimed, and fan-favorite shows were not spared and were discontinued, leaving the audience in dismay. Here is a list of some of these canceled Netflix shows:

Sense8

With a series created by the very same people who conceptualized Matrix, it was almost certain that Sense8 wouldn’t disappoint. And it certainly didn’t. Lana and Lilly Wachowski, together with J. Michael Straczynski, constructed such a beautiful work of art for Netflix in 2015. 

The story focuses on eight strangers of different races, sexualities, and walks of life bound by a psychic connection. After being “birthed,” these individuals then belong to a cluster of “senates” (or homo sensoriums), humans who are telepathically and emotionally linked together. This means that they can talk to each other despite being in different parts of the world, and they share certain emotions, knowledge, and skills. The series focuses on how these people help each other in personal predicaments and as they try to avoid being taken down by the Biologic Preservation Organization (BPO) and a man named Whispers. 

Arguably, everything about Sense8 is beautiful. The idea of having “sensates” is already astounding, but the show further develops an interesting plot with each character’s background story and personality. The creators also do not shy away from showing LGBTQ+ representation and tackling other social and political problems that were especially rampant when the episodes were shown. 

Unfortunately, Sense8 was canceled after two seasons, with Netflix saying it was an issue of not having enough budget when the show had a relatively small (though highly enthusiastic) viewership. The creators did manage to put out a season finale in 2018 because of the fan clamor, so people still got a sense of closure for the end of such a brilliant show. 

The Society 

Another Netflix show with an intriguing plot is the mystery teen drama The Society. This series, which is described as some kind of modern take on the classic “Lord of the Flies,” was created by Christopher Keyser and released in 2019. In The Society, a group of teenagers go on a field trip but are forced to return home when it is canceled, only to go home to a town where everybody has disappeared. With a forest surrounding them and no way to escape, the teenagers try to build this new form of society to survive. 

As many viewers have thought initially, you’d think that a teenage drama with this kind of premise would be filled with cliche romance, character tropes, and an unhealthy amount of partying without adult supervision. It might seem like that at first, just as how the characters thought as well, but you’d soon realize that The Society does not sugarcoat the frightening prospect of the situation happening in reality. 

Fans of the show believe that The Society is highly underrated because of how captivating the show is and its fresh take on a teenage drama. So it’s understandable how a number of these audience members were frustrated when Netflix decided to cancel the show after it was initially renewed. The production for this second season was supposedly just postponed due to the pandemic, but in 2020, it was officially announced that the show had been discontinued. 

Marvel’s Daredevil

Drew Goddard created Marvel’s Daredevil and, as the title suggests, is based on the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name. Having been blinded when he was young, Matt Murdock has heightened senses that he uses to fight crime. In the morning, he is a lawyer from New York City, while at night, he is the masked vigilante referred to as Daredevil.

The show was well-received by both critics and Marvel fans, even gaining a following from some who enjoyed watching Marvel’s Daredevil while not fully immersed in other works in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Each season was rated highly on Rotten Tomatoes (with season 1 earning a 99% rating!). Some of those who’ve seen it have even named it Marvel’s best TV show. The cast does an exceptional performance, with Charlie Cox just absolutely nailing his role as Murdock, and the show’s fight scenes are brilliantly orchestrated and captured on camera. It’s also worth noting that the show is pretty dark and much different from the other MCU films, which is rather refreshing for some viewers and makes them love it more. 

Unfortunately, besides being such a good show, it was canceled after three good seasons. The showrunner had supposedly pitched the fourth season to Netflix, but the latter decided to no longer push through with it. Though Netflix’s statement didn’t explicitly explain why, some have reported that it might have something to do with the budget (considering that the show was expensive to make) or a disagreement between Marvel and Netflix. 

Atypical

Atypical is another well-received show and was nominated for the Satellite Awards and Peabody Awards in 2018. This comedy-drama series created by Robia Rashid follows the story of 18-year-old Sam, who is on the autism spectrum, and his journey to finding a girlfriend. This decision then comes with the need for Sam to become more independent, affecting his mother and the rest of his family as they embark on their own life-changing paths. 

The show is known for its creative way of telling the story of someone on the autism spectrum and how they continue with life. While the first season was terrific, it received some flack because of some inaccurate portrayals of what autism is like and the lack of autistic people working in the show. These were, however, addressed in the following season, and the show has been known to improve with each new release. Besides being touching and relatable to some, the show also incorporates witty lines that elicit a good laugh from the audience. As a result, the show allows you to have a fun time, similar to the joy you can get when using a funny soundboard.

Unlike the first three shows, Atypical actually ended on a good note (despite fans still feeling bad about the show ending). Netflix announced that the show would no longer be renewed before the fourth season began production, which the creators have said to have been expected. This then allowed the last season’s ending to end on a positive and hopeful conclusion. 

These were some of the best Netflix shows that were unfortunately canceled. Whether they were production issues or something more, it’s sad that these shows were no longer renewed when fans expected something more. Despite that, with such good storytelling and a faithful fanbase, these shows would undoubtedly stick to the memories and hearts of many.