Netflix Cancelations

Last day to watch on Netflix: February 28

That message makes every viewers’ stomach drop.

Over the last few years, Netflix removed many shows that viewers seemed to enjoy. Whenever Netflix announces a new show on their Instagram page, the majority of the comments are of fans expressing their disappointment of another show being canceled.

In a post promoting Ginny & Georgia, a commenter wrote, “I’d rather be AnnE. #BringBackAnneWithAnE.”

In another post promoting Love Is Blind, someone wrote, “#netflix is also blind because they couldn’t see what a gem they had with Julie and the Phantoms! #savejatp.”

It is strange for a show to get canceled when it receives a great amount of viewership. Problems related to filming are the main reason why fan-favorites are not renewed.

Popular Netflix projects including Julie and the Phantoms, The Society, and I Am Not Okay With This were all canceled due to COVID-19. The pandemic made filming shows extremely difficult. The cast and crew had to socially distance themselves, everyone had to wear personal protective equipment, and also had to undergo daily COVID testing. This new pandemic routine messed up filming schedules, and the PPE and COVID tests cut into the production budget. There was not enough money for the production, especially for the shows that required computer-generated imagery.

Another reason as to why popular shows are removed from Netflix is because with the pandemic, new streaming services have been created. For years, Netflix has been the most popular streaming service nationwide. Before any other streaming services were made, almost all shows were on Netflix. Friends was owned by HBO, but it was on Netflix. The Office was owned by NBC, but it was available on Netflix. Daredevil was owned by Marvel, but it could be seen on Netflix. Once streaming services like HBO Max, Peacock, and Disney+ were released to the public, all of the shows those companies owned were returned back to their respected services. Friends is now only available on HBO Max. The Office can only be streamed on Peacock, and Daredevil can only be viewed on Disney+. These new streaming services have exploited Netflix users because now the viewers are prompted to subscribe to various services.

The cancellation, or removal, of a show continues to devastate Netflix users. The pandemic has caused a great deal of negative issues in the TV show community; several shows were not renewed because of COVID-19. On the contrary, the pandemic has benefited the TV series industry by helping streaming services prosper. It is clear that the pandemic has affected shows in positive and negative ways.