8 shows Netflix has cancelled despite their impressive Rotten Tomatoes scores

It launched to critical and audience acclaim in August, with an A-list cast and impressive scores on Rotten Tomatoes… but Netflix has cancelled Kaos after only one season.

Sadly, it’s a story streaming fans will be all-too familiar with, picking up an exciting new show and falling in love… only for it to be mercilessly cancelled without a chance of closure.

If Jeff Goldblum playing the Mighty Zeus isn’t good enough for Netflix, then what is?

Kaos joins the ranks of such shows as Chucky (cancelled after three seasons), My Lady Jane (cut short by Amazon Prime Video after one), Our Flag Means Death (two) and so many more coming to a close this year… cliffhanger or no cliffhanger.

Of all the big streaming services, Netflix is the one most renowned for its mercilessness in cancelling what it deems to be ‘poor’ performers – those which did well critically, but couldn’t cut the mustard in terms of viewing figures.

Join us as we explore what went wrong with Kaos – and take a look at five more beloved shows cut short before their Prime… sorry, Netflix.

Kaos

Jurassic Park star Jeff Goldblum stars as Zeus in this ambitious blend of fantasy, comedy and drama – which sees the immortal Olympian descend into paranoia as the world falls into chaos. Or kaos, rather.

Sitting at a more-than-healthy Tomatometer score of 76% and a Popcornmeter (audience) rating of 83%, Kaos debuted to strong word of mouth.

Sadly, that wasn’t good enough for the overlords at Netflix, who were disappointed by its 825million viewers and subsequent second week drop-off.

Those numbers are unlikely to improve with the knowledge that Kaos was kancelled on a kliffhanger – putting off any potential new viewers once and for all.

Dead Boy Detectives

Based on a comic book by Neil Gaiman and set in the same universe as Netflix’s The Sandman, this teen drama follows two young ghosts (Jayden Revri and George Rexstrew) as they investigate crimes from beyond the grave.

The show quickly found an audience among those who fell in love with its characters and spooky storytelling – and the critics agreed, earning the show a Tomatometer score of 91%.

Unfortunately, its adoring fanbase wasn’t quite big enough for the streamer, who announced that it had been cancelled after only one season.

That 90s Show

Gone are the days when a big, fat broad American sitcom could easily command seven or eight seasons apiece.

Indeed, not even the follow-up to the beloved 00s sitcom That 70s Show could hold onto its slot on Netflix – even with the involvement of original stars Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp.

That 90s Show did better than many, surviving on Netflix for two seasons, but it was announced earlier this month that this would be its last.

Uncoupled

First airing in 2022, this romantic-comedy-drama starred Neil Patrick Harris as a middle-aged man who finds his life turned upside down when his partner suddenly decides to leave him.

With audience and critic scores in their mid-seventies, Uncoupled did reasonably well with viewers – who responded to its gentle exploration of the gay dating scene through the lens of a middle-aged man.

Co-producers Showtime attempted to save the show from cancellation, but were ultimately unsuccessful.

Unstable

Parks and Recreation star Rob Lowe as CEO Ellis, running a high-tech research facility along with socially awkward son Jackson… played by Rob’s own offspring, John Owen Lowe.

The jovial chemistry between the two Lowe men was enough to win critics and audiences over, earning the show a second series, which landed on Netflix earlier this year.

However, disappointing figures for the second series condemned Unstable to early cancellation, which was announced last week.

Shadow and Bone

Between spin-offs and sequels, there are seven books in Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone series (otherwise known as the Grishaverse). The Netflix adaptation, however, didn’t even get past the first trilogy.

Following a young woman (Jessie Mei Li) as she unleashes her ancient power on a war-torn world, the show featured Ben Barnes as the mysterious General Krigan – and featured state-of-the-art VFX and worldbuilding.

Cancelled in November last year, the two-season Netflix adaptation struggled to justify its inflated budget – and a third instalment was cancelled, along with a mooted spin-off based on the author’s Six of Crows duology.

Lockwood & Co.

Does Netflix have something against supernatural teen dramas? If so, it’s no surprise that spooky detective drama Lockwood & Co. was cancelled after its first series.

The show follows three teenagers – led by Ruby Stokes’ Lucy Carlyle – as they found a ghost-hunting agency in ghoul-infested London.

Who you gonna call? Not Netflix, who cancelled the show after only one season. Fans blamed the streaming service for not promoting the series enough, leading to poor viewing figures.

Mindhunter

Helmed by Se7en and Fight Club director David Fincher, Mindhunter is one of the finest shows Netflix has ever produced – starring Anna Torv, Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany as a pioneering team of FBI Agents interviewing and investigating serial killers in 1970s America.

Sadly, not even its stellar cast, genius direction and near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores were enough to sway streaming bosses, who cancelled the show after its second series.

Creator David Fincher weighed in, admitting that he found filming the show to be an ‘exhausting’ process, and one which its budget couldn’t justify.

‘Listen, for the viewership that it had, it was a very expensive show,’ he told Vulture back in 2020.

‘I honestly don’t think we’re going to be able to do it for less than I did season two. And on some level, you have to be realistic — dollars have to equal eyeballs.’