If Daredevil: Born Again proves anything, it's that a cancelled Netflix show can come back. It's just not always going to have the same showrunner and, for that matter, it's not always going to be coming back to Netflix. And, if Netflix is known for anything by this point (outside of Stranger Things), it's for cancelling some of their very best shows way before they had run out of steam. It can make it hard to get hooked on one of their shows because, after all, if something as smart as Santa Clarita Diet or as heartfelt as GLOW can unceremoniously get the axe, what can't?
What follows are the Netflix series that didn't receive as many seasons as they should have. Some were fan-favorites, some were critical darlings, and some were a combination of the two. From animated and zombified wife comedies to series focusing on interviewing serial killers, these Netflix shows need a second life.
Created by Annie Julia Wyman and Identity and Saving Silverman's Amanda Peet, The Chair was something of a side project for the ultra-talented Sandra Oh when she wasn't shooting Killing Eve. Unfortunately, it wasn't a hit for Netflix like Killing Eve was for BBC America. The plot followed Oh's Ji-Yoon Kim, the first woman hired to serve as the chair of the English department at the fictional Pembroke University.
The Chair's excellent supporting cast were all put to good use, e.g. Bob Balaban and Two and a Half Men's Holland Taylor as two of Pembroke's senior faculty members, but it's really Oh's series all the way. Critics pointed at the show's ambition to cover a variety of topics as much as they complimented Oh's acting, making The Chair the type of project that assuredly was cut off at the knees before it really stood tall as intended.
Of all the shows mentioned here, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is the one least in need of a renewal. Airing in two seasons with two parts each, it was a hit for Netflix, but the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in its getting shut down and subsequent cancellation. This left a few plot points hanging in the air, which usually stands as the best reason to renew something.
For Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, however, most of those plot points ultimately were resolved courtesy of its sibling series, Riverdale. But, with something like Sabrina, there's assuredly more territory that can be covered, new stories that can be cooked up. Kiernan Shipka's star is on the rise, with parts in 2024's Twisters, Longlegs, The Last Showgirl, and Red One, but if she would be up for shooting another season, perhaps even an abbreviated one, it's not something Netflix should turn their noses up at.
If there's a truly baffling Netflix cancelation, it has to be GLOW. It was both critically adored and a hit with its fanbase (which, in spite of Netflix's hesitance to consistently reveal streaming numbers, seemed like a large one).
A phenomenal showcase of Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin's talents, GLOW was also blessed with a fully on-point supporting cast, not to mention a tone that oscillated between sweet and sincere at a perfect frequency. It's a show that manages to retain the interest of people who didn't even know there was a Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling circuit and have them fall in love with the characters. Unfortunately, that latter point is exactly what made it so hard to see GLOW go. There was only one season remaining, and that season should without a doubt see the light of day.
Starring It's Sophia Lillis and Wyatt Oleff, I Am Not Okay With This was a tough cancellation to swallow, in part because the series was initially renewed for a second season but ended up having that renewal reversed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yet, Lillis is still a fan-favorite performer, and the interesting premise combining superpowers and the difficulties of high school is a very explorable one. Should Lillis not be too old for the project by this point, it's something worth reviving. Unfortunately, given the fact its sole season was five years ago, the prospects of retaining the cast seems highly unlikely.
Inside Job, from Regular Show, Gravity Falls, and Disenchantment's Shion Takeuchi, was a bit rougher around the edges than her other more family-friendly work. And, also unlike those shows, it didn't last nearly as long as it should have. Initially, Netflix ordered 20 episodes, yet after the streamer reversed its decision on a second season, fans were relegated to rewatching just the 10.
It's a shame because it was an adult-skewing animated sitcom with a brain. It was outlandish without ever being alienating and was graced with a terrific cast of vocal performers, including Lizzy Caplan and Christian Slater. In a world where conspiracy theories are becoming an increasingly large part of the United States population's definition of science, there's no better silly show to renew than one that plays those theories for laughs.
Another show cancelled after just a single season, Lockwood & Co. received both rave reviews and a premature axing. Developed by Attack the Block's Joe Cornish, it's very much like that film in terms of both visuals and being exactly what it wants to be. But that also means its somewhat niche. Though working in Lockwood & Co.'s favor is the fact it's based on a pre-existing IP, which could give it an edge when it comes to a revival.
Like with any show featuring a younger cast, Lockwood & Co. faces the challenge of bringing back the same principal players. However, its one season was very recent, in 2023, so it's certainly not too late, as is likely the case with I Am Not Okay With This. This Ghostbusters-like British tale has a strong fanbase, and lead star Ruby Stokes herself has a fanbase courtesy of Bridgerton, so never say never.
If any cancelled Netflix show has generated as many raised brows as it has angry feelings, it's David Fincher's Mindhunter. Fortunately, the stars seem to be willing to come back, so it's not as if it's a project without hope. Whether it's another season or a Fincher-directed movie, fans would be more than a little appreciative if someone breathed new life into the property.
Mindhunter was a major watercooler discussion show throughout its 2017 to 2019 two-season run. It was a large part of why Netflix started to be taken seriously as a producer of original content. Should the incredible trifecta of Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, and Anna Torv (not to mention Fincher) still be on board to continue the narrative, there's precious little reason not to. After all, true crime is still a very popular genre.
Santa Clarita Diet creator Victor Fresco has made it clear he is more than willing to bring a fourth season to life, and it's just a shame Netflix or some other streamer hasn't taken him up on it. Unfortunately for the show's devout fanbase, it was very much the type of series that ended on an unsatisfying note, with clearly established plot points that had interesting directions to go in the following year.
Sadly, the fun and funny spin on the zombie subgenre is extremely unlikely to ever get a new batch of episodes. Sure, the same was said many times about Party Down and Arrested Development, but those shows didn't have one of its lead stars hosting her own talk show.
The Society creator Christopher Keyser himself called the show's cancellation after Season 1 "upsetting and abrupt," especially given the fact it was given a Season 2 order. Fans felt much the same way.
This modernized take on Lord of the Flies was nothing if not star-studded. It featured Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Abigail's Kathryn Newton, Ahsoka's Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Elvis' Olivia DeJonge, Fargo Season 2's Rachel Keller, and Sick's Gideon Adlon, most of whom were just shy of really taking off. That may make it awfully hard to revive the series, which was primarily cancelled due to COVID-19, but it would be a worthy venture nonetheless.
Tuca & Bertie, from the minds behind BoJack Horseman, was not the success for Netflix that Will Arnett-led show was. Widely hailed as one of the best new shows of 2019, the streamer nonetheless cancelled it after just a single season. Fortunately for its fans, Adult Swim then picked it up, though even there it just lasted another two seasons.
This story of two anthropomorphic bird pals living in the same apartment complex certainly had a cast made for comedy. On the list were Tiffany Haddish, Ali Wong, Reggie Watts, and Richard E. Grant. Should those cast members like to make more, it's the exact type of critically beloved show that would do well on another streamer for as long as the ideas and social commentary remain fresh. After all, Family Guy was cancelled then brought back to great success, and Tuca & Bertie is twice the show Seth MacFarlane's ever was.
Do you wish any of these shows could make a comeback? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section!