Is Netflix About to Cancel My Fave Show? Maybe!

Netflix's CEO has told CNBC he thinks they should be cancelling more shows because their hit ratio is too high.

It seems like insanity, but Reed Hastings, Netflix’s head honcho, argued that his streaming company might need to be more merciless when it comes to cutting shows.

“We have to take more risk; you have to try more crazy things. Because we should have a higher cancel rate overall,” he said to CNBC.

With the recent slashing of further seasons of The Get Down and, most recently, Sense8 (indeed, two of Netflix's "crazy things"), we thought it might be time to see how safe some of our favourite Netflix shows really are (beyond their most recent renewals), based entirely on our hunches, gut feel and general guesswork.

We've grouped them into "Hangers-On", for those really safe shows, "Debatable" for the ones looking a bit dicey, and "R.I.P." for those that don't really stand a chance in this cold, new world.

(By the way, we're excluding non-original series like Black Mirror and Arrested Development, which originated elsewhere but were resurrected on Netflix. There's no way of knowing how long these zombie shows could last. Maybe decades!)

Let Master of None star Aziz Ansari's head guide you, below.

HANGERS-ON (safe af)

Orange Is The New Black

This show’s safety is solid. As one of Netflix’s most popular programs, it comes as no surprise OITNB has been renewed for another three seasons. As for its longevity after Season 7, there'll probably be another storyline or so left. As the theme song reminds, they've got tiiiiime.

House of Cards

It all started for Netflix here. Critical raves have certainly dipped for the political thriller, but the canning of one of Netflix’s flagship series would surely send social media into overdrive. While the political climate has certainly changed considerably since the show started in 2013, it will probably continue for at least a few more years because there's always a new political scandal that viewers will want to sink their teeth into.

Stranger Things

The critically acclaimed series has only released one season so far and has already been renewed for a second, so it’s in the ‘basically impossible’ file for being cancelled in the next two years. The show's creators have already said they are working on storylines that could generate further seasons. Thank the Demogorgon for that.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Another one in the ‘they’ll be right’ basket. The third season has just been released to much acclaim (and more GIFs), so it's looking likely Kimmy Schmidt will be in our lives for at least a few more seasons. Given Fey's other venture, 30 Rock, lasted for seven seasons, we feel pretty sure about this one. 

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Yes. There will be another season and probably two more after that. The creators have said each season will focus on three books. Seeing as there are 12 books, if our maths is correct, that means there will be at least four seasons.

DEBATABLE (uhh, we're really not sure)

Master of None

Despite rave reviews, creator and main actor Aziz Ansari has said he needs some time before he even thinks about a third season. But that could also be due to the fact the second season just dropped. Give the guy a break.

Narcos

Even though a certain major character has now perished, this historical show will continue on for at least another two years. After that though, it doesn't seem incredibly likely Netflix will continue on... although there is no shortage of bad-guy-storylines in the cartel world.

13 Reasons Why

After a lot of heavy criticism, some may be forgiven for doubting whether the dicey show would ever be renewed. Well, in case you haven’t heard, it has been already. But how long can a show go on when the show's major premise was resolved in the first season? We're thinking it probably won't be that long.

Dear White People

While Netflix hasn’t confirmed if there will be a second season of Dear White People, it’s out of character for them not to give a new show one more season (except for The Get Down, though its episodes were delivered in two batches). After amazing reviews (it holds 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes), it’s looking towards a likely renewal. How long the show lasts after that is anyone's guess. But in the new post-Netflix Original series boom, we're betting it'll only stick around for a few seasons.

BoJack Horseman

While there is no release date set for the upcoming fourth season, it’s most likely there’ll be another season to follow. However, despite Hastings' claiming BoJack is his favourite Netflix show, we're not sure the tragic tale of Mr. Horseman could go on for much longer (without it becoming way, way too dark and depressing).

Luke Cage

While Luke Cage was met with some lukewarm criticism about its pacing, the gatekeepers at Netflix were clearly unperturbed because it’s getting a second season, baby. The future beyond that, however, might not be as clear. While the show was celebrated for giving television an unapologetically black superhero, many critics pointed out the show's obvious flaws in its drawn-out monologues and slow pacing. Because of this, it might not last long.

Jessica Jones

Jessica will continue to stop villains in New York City alongside her steel-skinned bae, Luke Cage, for at least another season. While Jones received some rave reviews, it had similar issues with sustaining interest over the series' first 13 episodes. (Given how slow the pacing was for both Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, we're thinking Netflix might have an issue with translating the comics to television, generally.) This will definitely be a problem past the third season, so it's another one that might get the boot sooner rather than later. (Netflix might instead focus on their upcoming team-up series, The Defenders.)

R.I.P. (probably going, going, gone)

Iron Fist

Okay, we are now entering the realm of the purely speculative. I think this is probably the most likely show to get the axe in the coming years, due to harsh criticism. The grapevine has whispered Netflix is still giving it a chance, but after this renewal, we're pretty convinced it's getting the can, unless it can really pull it together and get audiences to look past its issue with representation.

 

Love

Judd Apatow’s dark rom-com was renewed for another season before the second one had even finished. This is usually a pretty good sign the show will continue, but we honestly can't see it lasting much longer, purely because Gus and Mickey's relationship may not have that much steam left in it. Brace yourselves.

So, the answer to whether your fave show is on the chopping block is most likely, "Nah, it's safe for now." But be warned: Getting too attached to any Netflix show is now dangerous territory. Having your fave finish off organically is an actual blessing.

While all these possible cancellations are mostly speculation, it doesn't change the fact Sense8 was cancelled despite having a huge cult following and being lauded as one of the most inclusive and representative shows around. Fans have even created a petition demanding for an explanation or a renewal. It has already garnered more than 400,000 supporters.

Still, this is just a gentle reminder...

Photo: Student Edge