Netflix tends to cancel shows that don’t get the best viewership or critical rating, and so fans tend to hold their breath when a new show lands, just in case it doesn’t make the cut for a second, third or even fourth season. While some shows are given the green light and others are unceremoniously cancelled, did you know some projects were initially renewed, but ultimately cancelled? Here are the shows that were meant to come back for more episodes…
The Society
Fans were delighted when this creepy YA show about a bunch of high schoolers who find themselves trapped in an abandoned town was renewed for a second season. However, production was halted due to the pandemic, and it was cancelled a year later due to increased costs and scheduling issues, largely in part due to the pandemic.
GLOW
Despite renewing the show for a fourth season, the popular wrestling series was ultimately cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. Despite being renewed in August 2019, GLOW’s production was shut down due to the unprecedented event, with creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch telling Deadline: "COVID has killed actual humans. It’s a national tragedy and should be our focus. COVID also apparently took down our show.
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"Netflix has decided not to finish filming the final season of GLOW. We were handed the creative freedom to make a complicated comedy about women and tell their stories. And wrestle. And now that’s gone. There are a lot of [expletive] things happening in the world that are much bigger than this right now. But it still sucks that we don’t get to see these 15 women in a frame together again."
A spokesperson for Netflix added: "We’ve made the difficult decision not to do a fourth season of GLOW due to COVID, which makes shooting this physically intimate show with its large ensemble cast especially challenging."
Queen Sono
The story, which follows a South African agent who deals with criminal operations, was initially renewed by Netflix, with a spokesperson saying: 'Kagiso Lediga and the Diprente team delivered a compelling story that resonated with our viewers and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for Queen Sono in this coming season." However, once again COVID interrupted proceedings and the show was cancelled due to production complexities including the pandemic.
In a statement to Channel24, director and creator Kagiso Lediga said: "We wrote a beautiful story that spanned the continent but unfortunately could not be executed in these current trying times."
Inside Job
The hit conspiracy theory show was initially renewed back in June 2022, before ultimately cancelling it for unknown reasons. Shion Takeuchi confirmed the sad news on Twitter, writing: "I'm heartbroken to confirm that Netflix has decided to cancel Season 2 of Inside Job.
"Over the years, these characters have become real people to me, and I am devastated not to be able to watch them grow up. Reagan and Brett deserved to get their ending and finally find happiness. And I would have loved to be able to share what was in store with you all."
Tuca & Bertie
Despite being hugely popular with critics and viewers, Netflix called time on Tuca & Bertie after one season. However, it was luckily picked up by the network Adult Swim, with the network releasing seasons two and three before it was ultimately cancelled again after three seasons.
Lisa Hanawalt confirmed that the show was ending earlier than intended, writing: "I still have a beautiful and weird ending to T&B in mind, hopefully someday we’ll get the chance to finish this story. In the meantime, I’m not done creating. I’ve witnessed so many people connecting with this show on a profound level, and I intend to keep telling stories like this, no matter what."