Why does Netflix keep canceling its successful tween shows?

Netflix takes pride in being a streamer that caters to all ages. On the surface, it’s a platform that enables subscribers to make a smooth transition from Kids to its regular library of titles. However, as much as Netflix purports itself to be a streamer that caters to every age demographic, content made for and about tweens and younger teens is often on the chopping block.

The Baby-Sitters Club is the latest Netflix original series catering to this demographic to be cancelled. Last year it was Julie and the Phantoms and in 2019 it was Anne with an E.

All three programs were largely successful with viewers who fit their target audiences. There was also crossover appeal with The Baby-Sitters Club and Anne with an E as both series are based on beloved childrens’ books that have a special place in the hearts of multiple generations of readers.

They, however, failed to reach a significant portion of adult subscribers on Netflix. In an interview with Vulture, showrunner Rachel Shukert cited a lack of adult viewership as the reason for The Baby-Sitters Club‘s cancellation. An inability to reach the 25-54 age demographic also played a factor in Anne with an E ending.

Julie and the Phantoms was cancelled with no explanation, however, given the pattern shown above, it wouldn’t be surprising if a lack of crossover with adult audiences played a role.

The issue here is a business model that prioritizes adult viewership for content that’s intended for 10-15 year olds. While adults may enjoy kids media, we shouldn’t be the metric by which a Netflix tween or young teen show is judged…and yet we are.

Granted, Anne with an E also had behind-the-scenes issues with Netflix and the CBC. But, the fact that the show’s lack of connection with adults was a talking point for cancellation suggests that even if the two companies were able to work out a deal, the show wasn’t hitting the markers set for it. We should note that the algorithm plays into this which is also an issue.

How is a tween/younger teen series supposed to garner an adult audience if the algorithm already sets those shows up to fail? Netflix, like many platforms, recommends titles based on what a subscriber has watched. Even if an adult would enjoy these shows, they might not be aware they’re on the platform because they don’t pop up for them.

If you predominately watch thrillers, documentaries, action movies, etc., the likelihood of The Baby-Sitters Club appearing in your recommended list is low. The same can be said for Julie and the Phantoms and Anne with an E. It doesn’t help matters that shows like these don’t get big promotional pushes like Netflix’s teen and adult titles do.

They’re often quietly dropped on the platform and promotion is done primarily through second or third tier Netflix Youtube channels. While Netflix’s main social media platforms may occasionally promote their series for younger audiences, they’re not making them conversational pieces unless they fit into their Netflix Jr. category which these shows don’t.

What made these tween shows successful is excellent storytelling, media buzz, and fanbases who have a vocal presence online. But clearly that’s not enough for Netflix, even with these series being critically-acclaimed and loved by the many viewers who tuned into them.

If this remains the case, Netflix can’t truly be called a streamer that caters to all ages. How can it be when original series made for tweens and younger teens are tossed in favor of older audiences and content that interests adults?

Media that bridges the gap between Kids and more mature programming deserves to have its own space on the streamer. It’s essential to the growth of young viewers coming of age. When speaking on this matter, Shukert specifically pointed out the necessity of this type of media for girls.

"Girls are expected to go straight from Doc McStuffins to Euphoria. They’re not ready for TV about having sex, but they don’t want to be little girls. So who are they? It’s a really easy time for girls to define themselves solely by how they’re seen by other people and then you don’t get your sense of self back until you’re 35. What if you weren’t missing those 20 years?What if you always got to be yourself and see yourself represented in a real way…The Baby-Sitters Club speaks to so many girls because it meets them where they are…What we could do with The Baby-Sitters Club was make the girls as smart and interesting and mature as girls are without making it all about how other people see them. It’s about how they see themselves."

When shows like The Baby-Sitters Club, Anne with an E, and likely Julie and the Phantoms are canceled due to a lack of adult viewership, it sends the message that stories about preteen/young teen girls only matter as long as they cater to the expectations and interests of adults. No matter how good the show is, no matter how much attention it garners, it’s not “the right attention” and that’s a problem.

In a world that judges everything young people do from their sense of style to their dreams, there has to be media that affirms their struggles, interests, growing pains, and specific life events that shape who they are as people.

Television for this age demographic needs to stay around on Netflix beyond one to three seasons when there’s clearly more story to be told. But, in order for this to happen, the streamer either needs to do a better job promoting its tween/young teen series to adult subscribers or, better yet, prioritize the needs of the target audiences these shows cater to.