We all have that one show that was abruptly snatched away before its time was up. I, for sure, have a few. The shows I loved were sacrificial lambs to the Netflix Curse, Zaslov and Friends (Warner Brothers), or companies that can’t appreciate good work.
The Netflix Curse
What Is the Netflix Curse?
Netflix has this weird fetish with not correctly promoting the good, out-of-the-ordinary shows they spent bank on and canceling them out of spite (even though it’s their fault). By out-of-the-ordinary, I mean films and their original series that heavily focus on marginalized groups such as Black, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, etc. They also cancel shows after one season if they don’t get the first-week ratings they expected before allowing a fanbase to grow around it. You might as well flush it down the toilet if it’s a combination of the marginalized groups. Two of my favorite shows, The Get Down and Sense8, are shows that Netflix has done dirty.
The Get Down
The Get Down is a Netflix original series focused on some talented teens in 1977 New York City—specifically South Bronx, who chased their dreams to transform music history and its landscape. While the show was fictional, they did pull elements and inspiration from real-world hip-hop history. There were characters reminiscent of icons such as Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and more. We primarily followed Justice Smith and Herizen F. Guardiola’s characters,m Zeke and Mylene. Their love was the catalyst for Zeke’s inspiration and the biggest thing holding him back. The others in their group of tight-knit friends had their moments on the show as well, and all their stories blended well into the overarching plot. The show was a solid 10/10 and was taken in by the Netflix Curse.
The Get Down’s Showrunner, Baz Luhrmann, and his team were given $11-$16 million per episode, making the first season total around $120 million. The show’s production team did have hiccups along the way, but you would think Netflix would ensure that one of their most important shows was properly promoted. Not only did it lack promotion, but it also debuted around the same time Netflix was heavily promoting 13 Reasons Why. The second season was yet again not properly promoted. Numbers were low despite the amazing story, and Baz went on record saying the show was complete. But if you ask others who tuned into the show, they’ll tell you we could have at least gotten one or two more seasons out of it. A third season would honestly cure my depression.
Sense8
On the surface level of things, Sense8 is about eight strangers from other parts of the world who are mentally and emotionally linked together, learning about their connection while avoiding a secret organization hunting them down. Once you get into the show, you realize it’s more about connecting and finding common ground despite the clear differences while embracing the nature of who you are. It was also about fighting for everyone’s freedom and diversity. Sense8 pushed the sci-fi genre, making it one of the most progressive shows of its time. You had a lead trans actress, Jamie Clayton; Miguel Ángel Silvestre, a Spanish actor; Toby Onwumere, a Nigerian actor; and a more diverse cast.
Sense8 had a budget of $9 million per episode. Its downfall was low viewership and barely any promotion. Years later, it gained traction and some popularity, which was also around the time I joined the fandom. The show left original and new fans empty-handed as we were told there would not be a season three after season two’s cliffhanger. After years of rallying, fans rallied, and Netflix released a two-and-a-half-hour finale. It was great, and I’ll give them their flowers for closing it out the way they did. Nonetheless, we were robbed of a full season three and possible spin-offs. Netflix really said, “Here, damn.”
Zaslov and Friends
David Zaslov of Discovery, on April 8, 2022, bought Warner Media and all its assets. He removed lots of HBO Max Original content for the MAX streaming service to make the platform more “family-friendly,” AKA suburban white family media. Then they fired the Diversity Executive, Karen Horne, and the platform went downhill. Films and shows never leave the vault again. Not even mentioning him littering video games with micro-transactions. My two favorite shows from HBO Max, Legendary and Generation, were just the tip of the iceberg of the shows that fell victim to the cancellations.
Legendary
Legendary was a show highlighting the LGBTQ+ ballroom scene by having houses compete in themed weekly challenges for the grand prize of $100,000. For those unfamiliar with the ballroom scene, check out Paris Is Burning. The judges, Leiomy (ballroom icon), Law Roach (fashion architect), Jameela Jamil (actress and activist), Megan Thee Stallion (rapper), and Keke “keep-a-job” Palmer (replacing Megan in season 3) were the main judges who were joined by guest judges every week to see which houses would receive their 10s.
It was such a fun, action-packed show. Themes such as Atlantis, horror films, the ages of dance, and more were approached differently. My favorite part of it all was collaborating with the designers on the costumes for each house. The shade from the judges—Law, specifically, the well-crafted choreography, the competitive jabs, and the bad performances made it worthwhile to tune in. Unfortunately, it was removed from the network and not carried over to MAX.
Legendary had more seasons in it. It could have been as big and popularized as RuPaul’s Drag Race. The show brought ballroom to the mainstream and provided the talented houses of the ballroom scene with recognition and brand deals from companies. We could have got more seasons with kiki houses, other iconic houses, all-star seasons, and seeing members of old houses return in battles for their new homes. But alas, it’s f*ck David Zaslov.
Generation
Generation was another HBO Max original show. It explored the dynamic of Gen Z, LGBTQIA+ issues within their age group, and more. Justice Smith played the lead character in another show.
We were only given one season but deserved at least one more. It was fun, quirky, and original for its time.
Wrapping Things Up
The Get Down, Sense8, Legendary, and Generation only touch the surface of good canceled shows. Netflix needs to break free and properly promote its diverse show, while Warner Brothers needs to find a way to remove Zaslov as CEO and bring back their Diversity Executive. Other companies must also give the fans what they want and bring back fan favorites! Comment some of your favorite shows that were canceled too soon and deserve another season or two.
Stay GeekedT,
Michael