Netflix has only canceled 2 new shows in 2026 so far

Despite the popular belief that Netflix is axing new shows left and right, Netflix hasn't actually canceled that many shows this year.

So far, Netflix has only canceled two new shows from 2026. I know, I couldn’t believe it either.

Last month, Netflix cancelled the animated series Strip Law after one season. Then, on June 17, Deadline revealed The Boroughs, the new sci-fi series produced by the Duffer brothers, was canceled after one season. Those are the only two new shows Netflix has officially canceled this year.

The Boroughs is the biggest Netflix show canceled in 2026

The Boroughs is definitely the most surprising of the two. This was one of the most highly anticipated TV shows coming this year, and while it didn’t flop ratings-wise, it didn’t really ever make the splash we were expecting. It had fewer than 6 million views in its first week, followed by nearly 10 million views the next week. Then, there was a pretty steep dropoff after that.

We identified The Boroughs as a show that could be canceled immediately after it was released. Despite being a solid show, there was basically no buzz for The Boroughs out of the gate, and six million views in the first week isn't going to cut it for most big-budget Netflix shows.

Then, there was the second-week bump, and it seemed like The Boroughs season 2 could happen. Then, viewership dropped off again.

Looking at it that way, that’s probably the reason it was canceled. It didn’t have that super high bump upon release, and it didn’t maintain consistent viewership over its first few weeks on the platform. I’m curious about other metrics, too. We learned that Netflix canceled The Waterfront last summer basically because not enough people who started the show finished watching the first season. The Boroughs could be another show like that.

There have been other Netflix cancellations this year, including The Abandons, The Vince Staples Show, and Terminator Zero to name a few.

We’ve also seen Netflix announce the final seasons of several hit shows, including The Lincoln Lawyer, The Night Agent, and Emily in Paris. So, it feels like more shows have been canceled because news broke about a couple of small shows, and a few others were final-seasoned, but that’s still a relatively low number.

Meanwhile, Netflix has announced a ton of renewals this year, and there are a few other shows, like Man on Fire and Nemesis, waiting for their season 2 orders.

Now, will there be other new Netflix shows canceled in 2026? Of course. With dozens of shows still left to be released this year, including a number of new original series, there’s going to be more cancellation.

Overall, though, Netflix is the biggest producer of original shows among the streamers, and they have a good track record of renewing popular and good shows. I’m sure there are shows we wish got another season, and I’m sure that there will be more in the future. The list of shows Netflix renews for another season that are a tremendous drop in viewership is much longer. I’m looking at you, FUBAR.

Unfortunately, this is the end of the line for The Boroughs. We'll share more Netflix cancellation news as we find out.

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