Netflix has a reputation, and it's earned. A new series lands, climbs the Top 10, gets a fan base talking, and then a few weeks later it's gone. No second season, no proper ending, sometimes just a cast member confirming the news on Instagram.
The streamer rarely explains why. When it does, the answer is usually some mix of cost, viewing hours and how many people actually finish a show. A series can hit number one and still miss that bar. Some of the shows below did exactly that.
Here are 19 Netflix original series that got one season and no more, starting with the ones fans still haven't forgiven it for. Viewing figures are Netflix's own Top 10 numbers unless stated; budgets are reported estimates.
1. 1899 (2022)
The follow-up from Dark creators Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar put a multinational cast on a migrant steamship bound for New York, led by Emily Beecham and Andreas Pietschmann. It drew 79.27 million hours in its first week and 87.89 million in its second, on a reported budget of at least €60 million.
On 2 January 2023, Odar posted on Instagram: “With a heavy heart we have to tell you that 1899 will not be renewed.” The pair had planned three seasons.
The cliffhanger: Maura wakes up alone on a starship called Prometheus. The date is 19 October 2099.
Why it ended: Netflix never said.
2. The Society (2019)
A modern Lord of the Flies: a group of teenagers find themselves in a copy of their wealthy New England town, with no parents and no way home. Kathryn Newton, Gideon Adlon and Olivia DeJonge led a big young cast, and critics gave it 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Netflix renewed it in July 2019, then reversed the decision on 21 August 2020. Deadline reported that pandemic budget increases and scheduling a large ensemble sank it.
The cliffhanger: Lexie and Harry seize power and jail Allie and Will. Then the show cuts to the real West Ham, where the parents sit beside a memorial plaque to their missing kids.
Why it ended: Netflix cited “circumstances created by COVID.”
3. Cowboy Bebop (2021)
Netflix's live-action take on the cult anime cast John Cho as bounty hunter Spike Spiegel, with Mustafa Shakir as Jet and Daniella Pineda as Faye. Critics weren't sold: it scored 45% on Rotten Tomatoes.
It logged almost 74 million hours in three weeks, but viewing fell 59% in week three. Netflix cancelled it on 9 December 2021, less than three weeks after release.
The cliffhanger: Julia shoots Spike, Vicious is locked up, Jet and Faye go their separate ways, and Radical Ed turns up with a new bounty: Vincent Volaju, the “Butterfly Man.”
Why it ended: Netflix never said; reporting pointed to the 59% drop in viewing.
4. I Am Not Okay With This (2020)
Sophia Lillis plays Sydney, a high-schooler discovering she has superpowers, in this adaptation of Charles Forsman's graphic novel from Shawn Levy's 21 Laps. Wyatt Oleff co-starred. Netflix ordered eight episodes but only seven were made, and they scored 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Deadline reported that season two scripts had already been written when Netflix cancelled it on 21 August 2020, the same day as The Society.
The cliffhanger: after killing Brad with her powers, Sydney runs into the woods, where a mysterious man tells her that everyone should be afraid of her, and of others like her.
Why it ended: Netflix cited “circumstances created by COVID.”
5. The Midnight Club (2022)
Mike Flanagan adapted Christopher Pike's books about terminally ill teenagers in a hospice who make a pact: whoever dies first will try to contact the others. Iman Benson led the cast, with Heather Langenkamp as the hospice's doctor.
It debuted at number four with 18.8 million hours and scored 85% with critics. Netflix cancelled it on 1 December 2022, hours after Flanagan signed with Amazon. Flanagan said he didn't think it was a response to him leaving, then posted the season two plot on Tumblr.
The cliffhanger: Shasta escapes, Amesh sees a shadow following him, and Dr. Stanton turns out to have a cult tattoo.
Why it ended: Netflix never said; Flanagan said the show needed “pretty robust promotion.”
6. Kaos (2024)
Charlie Covell's modern spin on the Greek myths cast Jeff Goldblum as Zeus, with Janet McTeer, David Thewlis and Billie Piper. Critics gave it 74%.
It spent four weeks in the Top 10, with 98.9 million hours and 14.9 million views. In early October 2024, star Aurora Perrineau replied “Sadly, yes” when a fan asked if it was over, and Variety confirmed the cancellation. Covell had said: “My dream was three seasons.”
The cliffhanger: Zeus cuts his finger and bleeds, meaning he's no longer immortal. Prometheus is found sitting on his throne, and Hera tells the gods' children to “gather the troops.”
Why it ended: Netflix never said.
7. Lockwood & Co. (2023)
Joe Cornish adapted Jonathan Stroud's books about a teenage ghost-hunting agency, starring Ruby Stokes, Cameron Chapman and Ali Hadji-Heshmati. It scored 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from 14 reviews and became Netflix's global number one show in its second week.
Three weeks in the Top 10 added up to 79.91 million hours. On 12 May 2023, Stroud and production company Complete Fiction confirmed there would be no season two.
The cliffhanger: as the credits roll, the door to a room that had been locked all season swings open.
Why it ended: Variety reported viewing “didn't meet the threshold to greenlight a second season.”
8. Dead Boy Detectives (2024)
Two teenage ghosts, Edwin (George Rexstrew) and Charles (Jayden Revri), solve supernatural cases in this spin-off set in the same universe as The Sandman, based on characters by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner. It moved from Max to Netflix before release.
Critics loved it: 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and the site's Golden Tomato for best fantasy series of 2024. Viewers were fewer, with 9.6 million views over three Top 10 weeks. Netflix cancelled it on 30 August 2024; a fan petition passed 24,000 signatures.
The cliffhanger: somewhere in the Arctic, the Sprites sit with an unknown figure holding Niko's charm.
Why it ended: Netflix never said.
9. Archive 81 (2022)
Based on the horror podcast by Daniel Powell and Marc Sollinger, it stars Mamoudou Athie as Dan, an archivist restoring a set of damaged 1990s videotapes, and Dina Shihabi as Melody, the woman who shot them. Saw and Conjuring director James Wan executive produced.
It logged about 128.47 million hours in three weeks and scored 85% with critics. Netflix cancelled it on 24 March 2022, just over two months after it premiered.
The cliffhanger: Dan wakes up in a hospital bed and learns it's 1994, weeks after the Visser fire.
Why it ended: Netflix never said.
10. Jupiter's Legacy (2021)
Mark Millar's superhero saga starred Josh Duhamel, Leslie Bibb and Ben Daniels as ageing heroes and their struggling kids. It was the most-watched streaming show in the US for two weeks, peaking at 1.019 billion minutes on Nielsen's chart.
The production was a mess. The showrunner was replaced and filming shut down halfway. A Netflix insider put the cost near $130 million; other sources told The Hollywood Reporter it passed $200 million. Netflix released the cast on 2 June 2021, less than a month after launch.
The cliffhanger: the real Blackstar escapes and takes Brandon hostage, while Walter kills Raikou to hide what he did.
Why it ended: Reported overspending, a troubled shoot and weak reviews (41% on Rotten Tomatoes).
11. The Get Down (2016–2017)
Baz Luhrmann's musical drama about the birth of hip-hop in the Bronx starred Justice Smith, Shameik Moore, Herizen F. Guardiola and Jaden Smith. Its single season of 11 episodes was released in two parts, in August 2016 and April 2017.
At a reported $120 million, it was Netflix's most expensive original series at the time. Netflix ended it on 24 May 2017. Luhrmann explained: “I make movies. And the thing with movies is, that when you direct them, there can be nothing else in your life.”
The cliffhanger: the Get Down Brothers split up after their biggest night. Zeke leaves for Yale, Shaolin is back under Fat Annie's control, and Boo-Boo is arrested.
Why it ended: Cost, and Luhrmann's return to film-making.
12. First Kill (2022)
V. E. Schwab adapted her own short story about a teenage vampire, Juliette (Sarah Catherine Hook), falling for monster hunter Cal (Imani Lewis), with Elizabeth Mitchell in the supporting cast.
It peaked at number three with 48.8 million hours in a week and passed 100 million hours in its first month. That wasn't enough. Netflix cancelled it on 2 August 2022, saying it “did not meet thresholds for viewing and completion of episodes.” Showrunner Felicia D. Henderson blamed the marketing, saying she'd been told Netflix hoped completion would get higher.
The loose end: Schwab's vampire-meets-hunter romance was left unfinished after eight episodes.
Why it ended: Not enough viewers finished it, per Netflix.
13. Everything Sucks! (2018)
A half-hour coming-of-age comedy set in a 1990s high school, starring Jahi Di'Allo Winston and Peyton Kennedy, with a pre-fame Sydney Sweeney in the cast. It scored 72% on Rotten Tomatoes and was cancelled on 6 April 2018, less than two months after release.
Netflix's then-VP of original content Cindy Holland later said: “We couldn't get out of that core appeal,” adding that it “sucks” the show “didn't have a broader audience.”
The cliffhanger: Luke's father, Leroy, turns up at the front door.
Why it ended: Netflix said it never found an audience beyond its core fans.
14. The Irregulars (2021)
A supernatural spin on Sherlock Holmes: a gang of Victorian street kids led by Bea (Thaddea Graham) take on cases for Dr. Watson (Royce Pierreson), with Henry Lloyd-Hughes as Holmes.
It topped Nielsen's original streaming chart on release, ahead of Disney+'s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and scored 80% with critics. A second season had been listed for summer 2021. Instead, Netflix cancelled it on 4 May 2021.
The loose end: Leo tells Bea they can't be together, because he has agreed to marry Princess Helena Augusta in exchange for Billy's release from jail.
Why it ended: Netflix never said.
15. Resident Evil (2022)
Ella Balinska and Adeline Rudolph played Jade and Billie Wesker, with Lance Reddick as Albert Wesker. It opened strongly, with 72.67 million hours in week one and 73.26 million in week two, then fell 63%.
Game fans hated it: the Rotten Tomatoes audience score sat at 26%, and critics weren't much kinder at 53%. Netflix cancelled it on 26 August 2022, about six weeks after launch.
The cliffhanger: Jade offers to surrender in exchange for Bea's freedom, Billie shoots her, and Jade gets back up just as a helicopter flies overhead.
Why it ended: Netflix never said; poor reviews and a steep viewing drop were widely cited.
16. Cursed (2020)
Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler adapted their own 2019 graphic novel, a King Arthur story told through Nimue (Katherine Langford), with Devon Terrell as Arthur and Gustaf Skarsgård as Merlin. Reviews were mixed, at 67% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Netflix released no viewing figures. Props from the show turned up on eBay in April 2021, and on 9 July Deadline reported Netflix had “quietly canceled” it and released the cast.
The cliffhanger: Nimue is hit by an arrow and falls over a waterfall, apparently dead. Merlin gets his magic back, and the Weeping Monk is revealed as Lancelot.
Why it ended: Netflix never said.
17. Daybreak (2019)
A post-apocalyptic high-school comedy based on Brian Ralph's comics, starring Colin Ford and Sophie Simnett, with Matthew Broderick as Principal Burr. It scored 70% on Rotten Tomatoes and built a cult following.
Netflix cancelled it on 16 December 2019, under two months after launch. Co-creator Aron Eli Coleite broke the news on Twitter: “No one is as heartbroken as we are that we can't share more of this ride with you.”
The cliffhanger: Josh defeats Burr, but Sam turns down his “happily ever after” and declares herself the new leader. The survivors kneel.
Why it ended: Netflix never said.
18. Uncoupled (2022)
From Sex and the City creator Darren Star and Jeffrey Richman: Neil Patrick Harris plays Michael, suddenly single in New York after his partner Colin (Tuc Watkins) leaves. It scored 73% on Rotten Tomatoes but managed just one week in the Top 10.
Netflix dropped it in January 2023. A month later Showtime picked it up for season two, then changed its mind in March 2024, so it was cancelled twice in just over a year.
The cliffhanger: Michael comes home to find Colin waiting for him, saying he “may have made a mistake.”
Why it ended: Netflix never said; Showtime didn't explain its reversal either.
19. The Residence (2025)
A Shondaland whodunnit from Paul William Davies, based on Kate Andersen Brower's book. Uzo Aduba plays detective Cordelia Cupp, investigating a murder during a White House state dinner, with Giancarlo Esposito and Randall Park.
It debuted at number two with 6.4 million views and scored 85% with critics, reaching about 22.9 million views over four weeks. Netflix cancelled it on 2 July 2025, alongside the medical drama Pulse.
The loose end: the murder was solved, but the plan was for Cupp to take on a new case each season.
Why it ended: Netflix never said.
Did You Know? Netflix didn't pay for all of 1899. Of the show's reported €60 million-plus budget, Netflix put in €48 million. The other €12 million came from public film funds: €10 million from the German Motion Picture Fund and €2 million from Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg.
The 19 at a glance
| Show | Premiered | Cancelled | Episodes | Reported reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1899 | Nov 2022 | Jan 2023 | 8 | Netflix never said |
| The Society | May 2019 | Aug 2020 | 10 | COVID costs and scheduling (renewal reversed) |
| Cowboy Bebop | Nov 2021 | Dec 2021 | 10 | Never said; 59% viewing drop in week three |
| I Am Not Okay With This | Feb 2020 | Aug 2020 | 7 | COVID |
| The Midnight Club | Oct 2022 | Dec 2022 | 10 | Never said; creator cited weak promotion |
| Kaos | Aug 2024 | Oct 2024 | 8 | Netflix never said |
| Lockwood & Co. | Jan 2023 | May 2023 | 8 | Viewing below renewal threshold |
| Dead Boy Detectives | Apr 2024 | Aug 2024 | 8 | Netflix never said |
| Archive 81 | Jan 2022 | Mar 2022 | 8 | Netflix never said |
| Jupiter's Legacy | May 2021 | Jun 2021 | 8 | Overspending, troubled production |
| The Get Down | Aug 2016 | May 2017 | 11 | Cost; Luhrmann returned to film |
| First Kill | Jun 2022 | Aug 2022 | 8 | Low viewing and completion |
| Everything Sucks! | Feb 2018 | Apr 2018 | 10 | Audience too narrow |
| The Irregulars | Mar 2021 | May 2021 | 8 | Netflix never said |
| Resident Evil | Jul 2022 | Aug 2022 | 8 | Never said; bad reviews, viewing drop |
| Cursed | Jul 2020 | Jul 2021 | 10 | Netflix never said |
| Daybreak | Oct 2019 | Dec 2019 | 10 | Netflix never said |
| Uncoupled | Jul 2022 | Jan 2023 | 8 | Never said; Showtime revival also dropped |
| The Residence | Mar 2025 | Jul 2025 | 8 | Netflix never said |
Viewing figures are Netflix Top 10 data unless stated; budgets are reported estimates.
The Bottom Line
Hitting number one doesn't save a show on Netflix. Lockwood & Co. topped the global chart, 1899 was watched for more than 160 million hours in two weeks, and Archive 81 passed 128 million hours. All three were cancelled anyway. What counts is how many people finish a season, measured against what the next one would cost.
The only consistent pattern is silence. Netflix gave a reason for barely a handful of the 19 shows on this list. For the rest, fans found out from an Instagram reply, a trade report or an eBay listing.
