8 Cancelled Netflix Series Fans Still Wish Had More

ByAnne Lane Published:

Netflix has become famous for creating bold, binge-worthy shows, but it also has a habit of pulling the plug before fans are ready to say goodbye. Some of these cancelled series left storylines wide open, characters mid-journey, and viewers absolutely heartbroken.

The shows on this list weren’t just entertaining, they were the kind you’d talk about at lunch, recommend to your friends, and rewatch on a rainy Saturday. If you’ve ever screamed “Why did they cancel this?!” at your screen, you’re definitely not alone.

1. Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone
Image Credit: Helena4241, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Imagine discovering you have the power to summon sunlight in a world swallowed by darkness. That’s exactly what happens to Alina Starkov, and fans were absolutely hooked from episode one.

The world-building in this show was jaw-dropping, blending magic, war, and romance into something truly special.

Netflix cancelled it after two seasons in November 2023, even though a spinoff was being planned. Fans launched petitions and flooded social media, but the decision stuck.

How a show this rich got the axe is still one of streaming’s biggest mysteries.

2. Mindhunter

Mindhunter
Image Credit: The Tony Awards, licensed under CC BY 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Directed by the legendary David Fincher, this show made serial killers feel like a chilling psychology lesson you couldn’t stop attending. The performances were razor-sharp, and every episode felt like peeling back another layer of a very dark onion.

It wasn’t just a crime show. It was a masterclass in human behavior.

After two seasons, Netflix placed it on indefinite hold in 2020, officially closing the book in 2023. Fincher’s other commitments were partly to blame, but fans never stopped hoping for a return.

Just saying, some doors should never be closed permanently.

3. Warrior Nun

Warrior Nun
Image Credit: greyloch from Washington, DC, area, U.S.A., licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Few shows managed to build a fanbase as passionate and organized as Warrior Nun did. Ava Silva’s journey from ordinary girl to supernatural fighter was thrilling, funny, and surprisingly emotional.

The show mixed action with deep questions about faith, identity, and belonging in ways that felt genuinely thoughtful.

Netflix cancelled it in December 2022 after two seasons, and fans responded with one of the loudest online campaigns in recent streaming history. They even crowdfunded billboards.

Though the show ended too soon, its community proved that great storytelling leaves a permanent mark.

4. 1899

1899
Image Credit: Pedro J Pacheco, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Picture a ship full of European immigrants crossing the Atlantic, each speaking a different language and hiding a different secret. That’s the wild, multilingual premise of 1899, a show that felt like nothing else on television.

Its visual style was stunning, and the mystery kept viewers guessing at every turn.

Shockingly, Netflix cancelled it after just one season in January 2023, despite massive global viewership. The creators found out via Twitter, which felt particularly rough.

If a show this ambitious can’t survive, what chance does originality have?

5. The OA

The OA
Image Credit: Anna Hanks from Austin, Texas, USA, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

There’s weird, and then there’s The OA kind of weird, which is actually brilliant. Prairie Johnson returns after seven years missing, suddenly able to see, with a story so strange and layered that viewers debated its meaning for years.

It blurred the lines between science fiction, spirituality, and emotional drama in ways that felt genuinely groundbreaking.

Netflix cancelled it in 2019 after two seasons, blindsiding both fans and the creators. A protest was held outside Netflix headquarters.

However bold that sounds, it perfectly matched the energy this unforgettable show inspired.

6. Tuca and Bertie

Tuca and Bertie
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

If BoJack Horseman had a funnier, more chaotic younger sister, it would be Tuca and Bertie. This animated gem followed two best-friend birds navigating career stress, relationships, and growing up with wild humor and surprising emotional depth.

The animation style was bold and completely its own thing.

Netflix cancelled it after one season in 2019, which felt like stopping a party right when it got good. Thankfully, Adult Swim revived it for a second season.

Though it eventually ended, the show proved that animation for adults can be both hilarious and genuinely moving.

7. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
Image Credit: dronepicr, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Puppetry doesn’t get more jaw-dropping than this. A prequel to Jim Henson’s beloved 1982 film, Age of Resistance brought an entire alien world to life without a single CGI shortcut.

Every creature, every landscape, and every expression was crafted by hand, making it one of the most visually ambitious projects Netflix ever greenlit.

Critics loved it. Fans loved it.

Then Netflix cancelled it after one season in 2019. The sheer cost of production was likely a factor, but losing this show felt like watching a museum burn.

Some art deserves more than one chapter.

8. GLOW

GLOW
Image Credit: Netflix, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Spandex, sequins, and stories that actually mattered. GLOW was set in the glittery world of 1980s women’s wrestling and managed to be funny, fierce, and surprisingly moving all at once.

The ensemble cast brought such warmth and depth to their characters that you couldn’t help rooting for every single one of them.

Three seasons in, Netflix cancelled it in 2020, right as a fourth season was already in development. The pandemic played a role, but the timing felt especially cruel.

Fans deserved a proper ending for characters they had cheered on for years.

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