The list of Netflix canceled shows is long and has grown even longer in the last year. Netflix was once the beacon of hope that saved shows canceled by TV networks — and it sometimes still is, like in the case of Manifest season 4. In general, the streamer more often makes headlines for axing shows.
Cancelled Netflix shows include ones that are naturally ending after decent, five-plus season runs, such as Money Heist and Lucifer. In those cases, the creators and showrunners had time to prepare a satisfying conclusion. But other cancellations came out of the blue, like the short-lived Cowboy Bebop, Jupiter's Legacy, Dash and Lily and On The Verge.
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Netflix is becoming infamous for canceling shows after three or four seasons, which feels like a brutally short run to fans. Atypical, On the Block and Dear White People are just a few of the series that got a fourth and final season. (Nor is it the only thing we wish Netflix would fix — in fact, here's the one thing Netflix should do in 2022.)
Here’s a rundown of all the Netflix canceled shows and series ending in 2021.
Cowboy Bebop
Seasons: 1 | Ending: Nov. 19 (canceled Dec. 9, 2021)
Well, that was fun (for some) while it lasted. Netflix bit off more than it could chew with this adaptation of a classic beloved anime series about bounty hunters in space. Audience viewership (according to Netflix's own site) dropped off by over 50% between its first full two weeks on the big red streaming machine. The series wasn't a hit with fans, who felt Netflix did too much to break the format, especially with storytelling that tried to plumb for character depth where it wasn't. The good news? The classic Bebop is available on Netflix right now.
Money Heist
Seasons: 5 | Ending: December 3, 2021
Prepare for “total destruction” in the final season of the Spanish crime drama (also titled La Casa de Papel). That’s how creator Álex Pina described the conclusion of the thieving gang’s escapades to EW.com. The first part of Money Heist season 5 already dropped on Netflix, while the second part arrives in December. Fans may be consoled by the prospect of spinoffs in the future, but Pina is ready to end this particular story — so this is less of a cancelled Netflix show and more of one that is naturally concluding. ”We've exhausted some of the characters' emotional arcs and their arcs of transformation," he said. "It's always better to leave sooner rather than later."
Dash and Lily
Seasons: 1 | Ended: November 10, 2020 (canceled October 2021)
The young adult rom-com charmed viewers with its story of two teens who fall for each other by trading messages as well as dares in a notebook. They take the notebook to a variety of locations in New York City during the holiday season. Dash (Austin Abrams) hates Christmas while Lily (Midori Francis) yearns to find love. The series won a Daytime Emmy Award, but Netflix dashed the hopes of fans by cancelling it after just one season.
The Crew
Seasons: 1 | Ended: February 15, 2021
Kevin James went from being the King of Queens to king of a NASCAR crew to king of a cancelled Netflix show. He plays the crew chief of the Bobby Spencer Racing team. When the owner retires and passes the team on to daughter Catherine (Jillian Mueller), the chief has to figure out a way to get along with his new boss and deal with the modernizing changes she makes to the operation.
Cursed
Seasons: 1 | Ended: July 17, 2020 (canceled July 2021)
A reimagining of the legend of King Arthur, the fantasy drama starred Katherine Langford as Nimue, a young woman with mysterious powers. On a quest to deliver an ancient sword to Merlin, she teams up with a mercenary named Arthur. Their journey is arduous, as they battle the terrorist Red Paladins. Unfortunately, Nimue's transformation into her destined role as Lady of the Lake has been cut short, now that Cursed is yet another one-and-done cancelled Netflix show.
Bonding
Seasons: 2 | Ended: January 27, 2021 (canceled July 2021)
This cancelled Netflix show's clever title refers to bondage, as in BDSM. Tiff (Zoe Levin) is a psychology student by day and a working dominatrix by night. She reconnects with her estranged gay best friend, Pete (Brendan Scannell), and recruits him to be her assistant. He's an aspiring stand-up comedian with a bad case of stage fright. As Tiff juggles her busy schedule, Pete learns more about the BDSM community — and more about his own sexual hang-ups.
Mr. Iglesias
Seasons: 2 | Ended: December 8, 2020 (canceled July 2021)
Comedian Gabriel Iglesias fronts this comedy about a good-natured public high school teacher who works at his alma mater. He takes on a class of gifted misfits to save them from being "counseled out" by the bullying assistant principal but also to help them realize their full potential. It's a similar kind of heartwarming family comedy as One Day at a Time — which was also coldly cancelled too soon.
Country Comfort
Seasons: 1 | Ended: March 19, 2021 (canceled July 2021)
Hey, look, here's another family comedy that got axed by Netflix. Maybe the streamer wants to cede the genre to Disney Plus? Country Comfort takes a page from The Sound of Music. Katherine McPhee puts on Julie Andrews' shoes as a country singer who gets kicked out of her band. She becomes a nanny to Beau (Eddie Cibrian), a cowboy widower and father of five. And wouldn't you know it? The kids have musical talent! Maybe her music career isn't dead after all.
F is for Family
Seasons: 5 | Ending: November 25, 2021
Not all cancelled Netflix shows fall into the same boat. In the case of F is for Family, creators Bill Burr and Michael Price seem to be part of the decision to end the adult animated series. The story follows a dysfunctional Irish-American family in the 1970s, when indoor smoking is allowed, parenting is extremely hands-off and political correctness isn't a thing. After five, foul-mouthed seasons, Frank and kin are calling it quits.
Feel Good
Seasons: 2 | Ended: June 4, 2021
Netflix actually gave Feel Good a longer life than might have been intended. The British romantic dramedy first premiered on Channel 4 in the U.K., after which all six episodes debuted on Netflix. The streamer then went on its own to commission a second season. The series is a semi-autobiographical take on comedian Mae Martin's own life. They meet and get into a relationship with a repressed woman named George (Charlotte Ritchie). But Mae's past issues with addiction and George's hesitation to come out cause problems for the couple.
Grand Army
Seasons: 1 | Ended: October 16, 2020 (canceled June 2021)
The teen drama focused on students at Grand Army High School, a public high school, in Brooklyn, New York. There, they wrestled with issues including racism, sexual identity, bullying, violence, terrorism and sexual assault. The show was lauded its cast of newcomers, who lent authenticity to the tales of adolescent troubles. But despite being compared to My So-Called Life, Netflix pulled the plug after a single season.
On My Block
Seasons: 4 | Ended: October 4, 2021
The coming-of-age comedy about inner-city L.A. teens will bow out after the upcoming fourth season. Sierra Capri, Jason Genao, Brett Gray, Diego Tinoco, Jessica Marie Garcia and Julio Macias are all returning for the final 10 episodes, which are currently filming for an unknown release date. On My Block has earned rave reviews, but seems to fall into the category of shows Netflix ends after three or four seasons. It is, however, getting a spinoff called Freeridge.
Jupiter’s Legacy
Seasons: 1 | Ended: May 2021
Netflix has made no secret that it wants a big superhero franchise of its own and its 2017 purchase of Mark Millar’s comics imprint brought in the IP for it. Jupiter’s Legacy introduced a generation of legendary superheroes and their powered but dysfunctional children. The show proved to be more flash than substance — the first season reportedly cost $200 million to make, but generated tepid reviews and little social media chatter. So, Netflix won’t be plonking down more money for season 2. And though this particular Millarworld entity has been canceled, other projects set within the universe will be forthcoming.
Atypical
Seasons: 4 | Ended: July 9, 2021
The acclaimed comedy centering on Sam (Keir Gilchrist), a young man on the autism spectrum, is yet another Netflix show to end after four seasons. The final chapter, continued Sam’s journey of self-discovery and independence, as he moved into an apartment with roommate Zahid, started college and decided to make a life-changing journey to Antarctica. The rest of his family also evolved, with Casey (Brigette Lundy-Paine) also making own big decisions about her future.
The Kominsky Method
Seasons: 3 | Ended: May 28, 2021
Ending The Kominsky Method was a mutual decision between Netflix and creator Chuck Lorre, and seems to have partially come about because star Alan Arkin left the show after season 2. Michael Douglas had to carry out the farewell tour on his own, with Sandy learning how to manage life without his longtime friend and agent. The return of ex-wife Roz (Kathleen Turner) and their reconciliation provided the closure that Lorre wanted for the final season.
The Irregulars
Seasons: 1 | Ended: March 2021
Given the popularity of Enola Holmes, it seemed like the Sherlock-adjacent Irregulars was destined to be a hit franchise for Netflix. A group of teen misfits solving supernatural crimes? Sounds like the kind of thing Netflix would definitely recommend “because you watched Stranger Things.” The Irregulars popped up in the Netflix Top 10 after its debut, so the show’s cancellation remains a mystery. Too bad the Baker Street urchins won’t be around to solve it.
Special
Seasons: 2 | Ended: May 2021
Ryan O’Connell’s journey from bleak to chic has come to an end, after Netflix announced season 2 was Special’s last. At least the short-form comedy got supersized, with the final eight episodes running 30 minutes each. Still, Netflix lost an Emmy-nominated show acclaimed for elevating a fresh, unique voice. O’Connell vowed, “I’m not finished telling stories about disability. I’m not finished telling queer stories. This is really just a beginning of a new chapter, so hang tight, baby, I’m coming!”
The Duchess
Seasons: 1 | Ended: September 2020 (canceled in April)
Katherine Ryan’s comedy about a single mom who’s thinking about having a second child won’t be having a second season, which she announced on The Secret To podcast in April. Ryan was upfront about the cancelled Netflix show's problem: “Not enough people watched it.” Still, there’s a non-zero number of viewers who will be bummed — though Ryan herself won’t be one of them. “I’m not terribly sad about it,” she said. “I feel like it’s a whole lot of work, a whole lot of time to make a sitcom. I was so grateful to be able to make it, but I think it speaks for itself.”
The Last Kingdom
Seasons: 5 | Ending: TBD (canceled in April)
The warrior is fighting his final battle. The saga based on Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories will conclude with the upcoming fifth season. Fans are raging about Netflix’s decision to end the series, since season 5 will cover books 9 and 10 — out of 13. So, there is still plenty of material to continue the story of Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon). At least The Last Kingdom will go out in epic fashion, since exec producer Nigel Marchant teased, “Not everyone survives.”
Lucifer
Seasons: 6 | Ending: September 10, 2021
Hell hath no fury like Lucifer fans scorned. Already, their fervor for the show led Netflix to save it when it was canceled by Fox. Then, the streamer planned to cancel it after season 5, only to reverse the decision and order a sixth season. This one was truly Lucifer’s final outing and it was an epic one, with the devil (Tom Ellis) facing both his inner demons and powerful foes. Could this cancelled Netflix show be resurrected once again? God works in mysterious ways.
Dead to Me
Seasons: 3 | Ending: 2022 (canceled in July)
Just because a show’s creative team decides to end their run doesn’t make it sting any less. In the case of Dead to Me, star and executive producer Christina Applegate tweeted, “We felt this was the best way to tie up the story of these women.” Season 3 will wrap up the rollercoaster ride of murder, mystery and mayhem that brought together friends Jen (Applegate) and Judy (Linda Cardellini), as they face a reckoning over the choices they’ve made thus far.
Dear White People
Seasons: 4 | Ended: September 22, 2021
Justin Simien’s indie movie-turned-series went back to school one last time, though Simien himself is graduating to Disney’s Haunted Mansion reboot. The final 10 episodes continued following Black students as they navigated the racial tensions simmering above and below the surface at the prestigious, mostly-white Winchester University. The final season was a '90s jukebox musical that explored the tension between breaking down a racist system and working from within it.
Lost in Space
Seasons: 3 | Ending: December 21, 2021
The sci-fi family drama is heading into its final frontier and wrapping up the rebooted tale of space colonists the Robinsons. Apparently, three seasons had been the plan all along. Showrunner Zack Estrin said in a statement, “From the beginning, we've always viewed this particular story of the Robinsons as a trilogy. A three part epic family adventure with a clear beginning, middle and end.”
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