7 Netflix shows canceled in 2024 we’re still salty about

Netflix has axed several shows in 2024 and a few are really angering fans!

It can be hard to be a Netflix subscriber. The streamer is home to some fantastic shows, many of which no other network or creator would take a chance on. Sadly, far too often, a great show only lasts one season, with Netflix canceling them for sometimes little rhyme or reason. 

2024 was no different, with several shows ending. To be fair, a few weren’t that good, so they likely deserved the axing. Others just were rather forgettable so no big loss. But then there are a few shows that had great critical acclaim and amassed a loyal following, only to be canceled with little warning.

It’s aggravating and worse when some seem to have been given little chance to grow. Here are the shows Netflix has canceled in 2024 that really stick in the craw of fans to make folks wonder why they trust this streamer to get invested in a series. 

Dead Boy Detectives

This one is truly painful. Netflix gave little promotion to this beautiful story despite the fact it came from acclaimed writer Neil Gaiman and links to The Sandman series. The plot was terrific with two ghosts aiding an amnesiac telepath in discovering her past and facing supernatural threats. It was sharp, well written and acted, and ended on a fine cliffhanger.

Instead, Netflix axed it, which adds to the huge list of fantasy shows it’s dropped, like Shadow and Bone and Lockwood & Co. It just seems odd that Netflix produces some terrific fantasy series and then drops them before they can build momentum, and the Dead Boys are sadly unable to live on. 

The Brothers Sun 

For an Oscar-winning international star, Michelle Yeoh is having trouble with TV. First, Disney+ canceled her American Born Chinese show then Netflix dropped this underrated crime series. Yeoh was sensational as a mother revealing to one of her sons that he’s part of a criminal family and reuniting him with his criminal brother. The great Asian cast was a highlight with some top-notch action.

The season had ended with an opening for more fun, and many would have loved to see it continue. If nothing else, one would think Netflix would have loved having Yeoh around to promote it to international audiences rather than another one-and-done Netflix show.

KAOS

This one makes no sense. Netflix didn’t even seem to give KAOS a chance, announcing its cancellation barely a month after it premiered. That left no chance to build any buzz around it, which is more confusing given it had a huge star in Jeff Goldblum. The idea of the Greek gods in today’s world had real promise and the show was daring in its storylines. 

The cast was gelling, the action was ramping up, and the finale was a great one with a cliffhanger for the next year. Obviously, the showrunners were sure of a renewal, but Netflix didn’t agree. Still, being canceled this soon after airing was a dumb move by the streamer and yet another reason for genre fans to distrust Netflix.

That ‘90s Show

Maybe it wasn’t as good as That ‘70s Show but this sequel series was still much better than most of Netflix’s comedy fare. Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith were in fantastic form as the leads and it was fun seeing the original show stars like Ashton Kutcher, Mia Kunis, and others drop in. 

It didn’t break new ground in comedies, yet it still has the flavor of the original show and did a good job replicating the 1990s setting. The young cast was as engaging as the original stars, and while it got a few more episodes than expected, ending it after just two seasons was a letdown, given this was one of the better reboot shows around. 

Ratched

This was expected yet still disappointing. The underrated Ryan Murphy series was a prequel to the classic movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, showing how Nurse Ratched (Sarah Paulson) became the monstrous woman we know. The show was fun with a 1940s setting and a sinister storyline, all the Murphy traits of wild twists and turns, a compelling cast and Paulson delivering the goods in the lead role. 

The show had aired in 2020 so it wasn’t too surprising when Paulson confirmed it wasn’t coming back earlier in 2024. That doesn’t make it easier for fans as there was still potential for exploring the character’s development, sharpening the storytelling, and a rare Murphy misfire for Netflix. 

Obliterated

Some can argue Obliterated dragged a bit too long for its concept. Yet its huge viewing success should have led to at least one more year. The plot was fun as a special ops team go too far celebrating an apparent win and then have to stop a terrorist plot in Las Vegas while colossally under the influence. The show was wild with fun twists and the cast doing well with the comedy. 

Maybe another season would have been a bit much to reprise things, yet the show was a fun romp, and it would have been fun seeing the gang on some mission abroad to cause another mess. The big viewing numbers alone should have kept this from being obliterated too soon. 

Unstable

Another case of a fun comedy Netflix didn’t promote nearly enough, Unstable starred Rob Lowe as an eccentric bio-tech boss whose estranged son (played by Rob’s real-life son John Owen Lowe) comes to work for him. The senior Lowe clearly had a ball playing this over-the-top role, and he and John Owen had wonderful chemistry on screen.

While there was a bit of a sophomore slump from its nicely done first season, the series still rested on Lowe’s unique charms and could have bounced back. Many never even knew about it as Netflix failed to link it to Lowe’s success on 9-1-1: Lone Star. So Unstable had to die out despite some of Lowe’s better TV work.