Big Mistakes season 2 may already be doomed after brutal Netflix ratings decline

Netflix has debuted a number of new shows so far this year, including Dan Levy's first new television series since Schitt's Creek ended six years ago. Big Mistakes premiered on April 9, and while the series arrived with a major promotional push from its Emmy Award-winning creator and star and much excitement, the viewership numbers are unfortunately telling a different story.

As of this writing on May 6, Netflix hasn't yet renewed Big Mistakes season 2, even though the first season's finale left the door open for the story to continue in the future. Unless a new series takes off to immediate, unprecedented success, the streamer will typically tracks the show's performance across the first few weeks before announcing a decision. In this case, the chances are decreasing.

Big Mistakes falls out of Netflix Top 10 as season 2 chances dwindle

Following the premiere of Big Mistakes on April 9, the series debuted at No. 8 on the Netflix Global Top 10 English-Language Shows ranking with 2.7 million views, which translates to 12.2 million hours viewed, across its first four days of release. Compared to other comedy and crime series that have been recently release, Big Mistakes fell far behind the pack.

In its second week and its first full tracking week for viewership, Big Mistakes rose to the No. 3 position with 4.4 million views and 19.4 million hours viewed. While it's a positive sign that the series almost doubled its returns, it's still pacing well behind the debuts of other hit series, like the Running Point season 2 premiere coming in with higher numbers in a shorter period of time.

By the third week of availability, Big Mistakes fell out of the Global Top 10 ranking completely, which is perhaps the most unfortunate aspect when it comes to the show's renewal chances. Since the series isn't featured in the ranking for the week of April 20-26, that means the series brought in fewer than the 2.6 million views the No. 10 series (Million Dollar Secret) netted for the week.

Unfortunately, Big Mistakes also didn't bounce back for a reappearance on the ranking during the week of April 27-May 3. We can assume that the show's lifespan on the chart has ended, and that's not a positive sign. These aren't usually the figures we see from Netflix shows, even comedies that are typically less expensive to produce than dramas, that are in contention for renewal.

There's still a chance Big Mistakes season 2 could happen

But stranger things have happened. Netflix also factors in a show's completion rate, which is data that isn't readily available to consumers. The Waterfront creator Kevin Williamson recently revealed how the Netflix drama had a certain amount of time to meet its completion rate goals in order to receive a season 2 renewal, but that didn't happen. A similar scenario could be in play here, too.

Netflix also debuted the comedy series Free Bert earlier this year, and while the series debuted with higher numbers in its opening frame than Big Mistakes with 3.2 millions, it still seemed like a long shot for renewal. Regardless of predictions, the series picked up a season 2 renewal. Production costs play a part in Netflix's decisions, and if the price is right, renewals can happen.

It's true that Big Mistakes season 2 is currently in danger and cancellation is on the table, but there are other variables working in its favor. The series was well received by critics and attracted acclaim from viewers as well. Levy is one of the industry's top creators and has spoken about his desire to see this show through to its end. All of these reasons could far outweigh middling ratings.

Stay tuned for more Netflix news and updates!

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