New years will come and go, but it all depends on what stays with you in the end. Heading into 2023 with the best we have, Netflix has released some of the most critically-acclaimed shows that will certainly stay in our minds, owing to their unique selling points, and sometimes because of their cathartic moments that lead us to finally face our bottled emotions. Unfortunately, with time, we also learn to wave our goodbyes, not because they aren’t deserving to stay, but because new things are on our way and they require our attention.
That being said, Netflix is also looking forward to new things, which leads the official platform to cancel shows including Another Life, Gentefied, Archive 81, Raising Dion, Pretty Smart, Space Force, First Kill, Resident Evil, Fate: The Winx Saga, The Imperfects, and Partner Track. Be that as it may, certain shows are tottering on the edge of this cliff. Will they be able to make it?
5 Netflix shows tottering on the edge of being cancelled in 2023
1. Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
Touted as one of the most successful Netflix original horror series, Cabinet of Curiosities is an American horror anthology series created by Guillermo Del Toro for Netflix that premiered on October 25, 2022. It featured eight modern horror stories that echo Gothic and Grand Guignol tradition genres. Since it is an anthology series, it is inclined towards being more limited. Be that as it may, the creators of this Guillermo del Toro’s horror fiction have not listed the show to be a limited series. As a result, there is a possibility that the Cabinet of Curiosities might be renewed for a second season. However, since it has not been renewed for so long, there are chances that it might be scrapped.
2. Lockwood & Co.
A Netflix Original supernatural thriller series, Lockwood & Co is based upon the titular young adult novels written by Jonathan Stroud. Released on January 27th, 2023, the anticipation of the fans for its sequel season is exponentially increasing owing to its positive reception and critical acclaim. Produced by Complete Fiction, here’s the official synopsis of Lockwood & Co for the unversed:
“In London, where the most gifted teenage ghost-hunters venture nightly into perilous combat with deadly spirits, amidst the many corporate, adult-run agencies, one stands alone: independent of any commercial imperative or adult supervision – a tiny startup, run by two teenage boys and a newly arrived, supremely psychically gifted girl, a renegade trio destined to unravel a mystery that will change the course of history: Lockwood & Co.”
Premiered on January 27, it seems too early for the official streaming platform to renew or cancel the series. As you might probably be knowing that Netflix takes into consideration a litany of determining factors that eventually result in the renewal or cancellation of the series. These include viewership figures, completion rate, number of starters, production cost, and more. We can only know the ultimatum once the show has streamed for over a month on Netflix as then we can have some concrete data to deal with.
If you have an already expanded knowledge pool, then you might be aware of Netflix’s proclivity to canceling the genre shows that dealt with young adults, such as First Kill, Resident Evil, The Imperfects, The Midnight Club and The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself. These shows couldn’t make a cut, and all of them failed to get beyond season 1. The question is if Lockwood & Co is belonging to the same genre, does that mean we won’t be seeing more of it in the future?
Be that as it may, the supernatural thriller series is harnessing a lot of critical acclaim. Take a look at a few of them below:
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90% (critics), 94% (audience)
- IMDb: 7.6/10
3. Freeridge
Touted as one of the first major comedy releases on Netflix of 2023, Freeridge is a spin-off to On My Block. The series is spatially set in the same location that its progenitor was also set, however, it features a brand new cast. For those unversed, Freeridge encircles the life of four teens who are sweating to reverse a curse that is catapulted on its arrival.
Ever since its release, the show has garnered positive reviews, boasting an 86% on RottenTomatoes. Not only that, but The Daily Beast also appreciated the series to be a “female-led comedy.” The Hollywood Reporter reviewed Freeridge to be a “lighter show than its predecessor” however, it runs parallel to the original by sharing “the same empathetic heart” and “playful sense of humor.” However, on the audience front, the show has not performed well since it has garnered only a 5.9 on IMDb and 61% on RT.
Although the show received mixed reviews and made its seat in the top half of the top 10 shows on the streamer, it will be a fight for Freeridge to land a second season.
4. Russian Doll
Out of all the previously-mentioned shows, Russian Doll seems to have the highest possibility of being canceled in 2023. Premiered on April 20, the second season of the show didn’t make it to the global top 10 list at all. To make matters worse, the second season was not released a year since its first season debuted. Considering that Netflix took four months to renew the show for a second season, it seems that the fate of the show is sealed after the second season. Not only that, but the series star and co-creator Natasha Lyonne has already begun starring in Poker Face on Peacock.
5. Rebelde
It’s been quite a while since the second season of this adolescent Spanish drama was released and we haven’t heard from Netflix since. As per the data released, the second season only garnered 15.31 million hours by the first week. With the advancement of time, a 43% plummet was observed in the second week, garnering only 8,760,000 million hours. Subsequently, the matter was exacerbated as the show dropped from the global non-English top 10 list. In comparison to the first season, the second season underwhelmed the critics and audience. Resultantly, we speculate that it had bid its adieu to its fans covertly and won’t return for a third installment.