These Shows Have Renewed Or Canceled By Netflix For 2020
Every year, streaming giant Netflix must make the decision to renew or cancel its original programming. The decisions can often be complicated, as fans struggle to find a reason to the rhyme or reason. Why does a critically acclaimed show like Ozark get canceled while less popular options are allowed to thrive? These are the shows that Netflix has renewed and canceled in 2020 so you can know whether to grab a tissue box or dance in celebration!
The OA - Canceled
The OA premiered on Netflix in 2016 with eight episodes. Created by and starring Brit Marling, the show follows a woman named Prairie Johnson, who suddenly re-emerges after having been missing for seven years.
After the first eight episodes aired, it took three years for season two to arrive. Billed as "Part Two," the last eight episodes received universal critical praise. Ending on a cliffhanger, fans were left devastated when Netflix announced they would not be producing a third part in August 2019.
Fuller House - Canceled
A sequel series to Full House, Fuller House lasted on Netflix for five seasons before releasing its final batch of episodes in June 2020. Taking place after D.J. Tanner moves into her childhood home to raise her three sons with Stephanie and Kimmy, the show was a massive hit for the streamer.
The nostalgia grab series was never a hit with critics, but fans ate it up, justifying its surprising five-season run.
You - Renewed
You was an under the radar release when it premiered on Lifetime in 2018. The dark drama centers on Joe Goldberg, a serial killer and bookstore owner who becomes obsessed with one of his customers.
When Netflix began streaming the series it instantly took off and attracted a reported 43 million viewers. The show moved to Netflix full-time for its second season and was officially renewed for a third go-round in January 2020.
The Haunting Of Hill House - Renewed
An adaptation of the classic horror novel, The Haunting of Hill House proved chillingly effective when it debuted on Netflix in October of 2018. When the story wrapped at the end of the season, fans wondered how more episodes could be made.
Netflix then announced the series would be made as an anthology, with the second season being called The Haunting of Bly Manor. The new batch of episodes are set to premiere sometime in 2020.
Stranger Things - Renewed
If you had any worries that the biggest show in the history of Netflix would be canceled you can set those aside. After three ground-breaking seasons, the renewal for Stranger Things hardly comes as a surprise.
What will be a surprise is what directions the 4th season takes the audience. Full of twists, turns, nostalgic references, and incredible characters, Stranger Things won't be getting the ax from Netflix anytime soon.
The Umbrella Academy - Renewed
From the mind of Gerard Way, the lead singer of My Chemical Romance, The Umbrella Academy's first season was watched by 45 million viewers in the first month of its release in 2019.
Netflix was quick to renew the show for a second season, which will air in 2020. The only question left to answer is this -- will the hit show about a family with superpowers get picked up for a third go 'round?
13 Reasons Why - Canceled
After a first season heaped with critical praise and millions of viewers, 13 Reasons Why took a nosedive in its second and third seasons. Having left the story unfinished, Netflix renewed the show for one last season.
The fourth season debuted on the streamer in 2020 and was met with the same lack of enthusiasm as season two and three. It's safe to say that fans won't be clamoring for more teenage drama from this cast of characters.
GLOW - Renewed For Final Season
GLOW burst on the scene in 2017 as a breath of fresh air for Netflix. The comedic series about the formation of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling was a female-driven hit.
After three seasons, Netflix decided in September 2019 that all good things must come to an end at some point. The show was renewed for a fourth and final season. When that season will hit the service is currently not known.
Lucifer - Renewed For Final Season
Lucifer spent the first three seasons of its television life on Fox. But with ratings falling, the network canceled it. Netflix, after seeing the vocal outpouring from the show's loyal fanbase, picked it up for a fourth season.
That fourth season morphed into a fifth, which was intended to be the last. Then, in 2020, the streamer gave fans a big surprise announcing an encore for the show in a sixth and final season.
Ozark - Renewed For Final Season
Led by Jason Bateman, Ozark was labeled a Breaking Bad ripoff when it released its first season on Netflix. It didn't take long for the show to prove it was its own beast, however, and has found critical and commercial success since then.
Looking not to let the show outstay its welcome, Netflix announced in 2020 it was being renewed for a fourth and final season. If you haven't started watching, there has never been a better time!
BoJack Horseman - Finished
One of Netflix's first original series, BoJack Horseman officially ended its six-season run in January 2020. The show, which received mixed reviews for its first season, broke through thanks to a multi-faceted vocal performance by Will Arnett.
When the second season premiered, it proved that the show was not one-hit wonder. Critics changed their tunes, praising it as one of the best-written shows on television as it used its cartoon platform to explore real-world issues.
The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina - Canceled
Originally intended to air on the CW, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina ended up on Netflix. The Riverdale sister series and dark update of Sabrina the Teenage Witch was hailed as "Bewitchingly beautiful and wickedly macabre."
Split into parts instead of traditional seasons, Sabrina aired its third set of episodes in January 2020 with a fourth part airing later in the year. In July, Netflix announced it was canceling the show.
Dark - Finished
Netflix spared no expense when it took its first dive into German language television with Dark. The science fiction series followed the unraveling of a small town after a child's disappearance.
Throughout its three-season run, the show was praised for its writing and performances. The longer the show ran, the more expensive it became to make, though, resulting in the third season (which came out in June 2020) being the last.
Jessica Jones - Canceled
After Disney announced they were launching their own streaming service, the writing for Jessica Jones was on the wall. The show, starring Krysten Ritter, was the second Marvel show to debut on the streamer after Daredevil.
The cancellation came as a shock to showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, who was given barely enough time by Netflix to rewrite the season finale into a satisfying series finale. Loyal fans, of course, are still hoping to see Jones come back for a fourth season on Disney+.
V Wars - Canceled
V Wars was hoping to do for the vampire genre what The Walking Dead did for zombie fans. Unfortunately, it premiered in December 2019 to middling reviews and an unenthusiastic viewer base.
It probably didn't help that series star Ian Somerhalder was just coming off his long-running role in The Vampire Diaries. Four months after dropping on Netflix, the streamer announced V Wars would not be getting a chance to continue its story.
The Crown - Renewed For Two Final Seasons
Coming from critically acclaimed filmmaker Peter Morgan, The Crown takes an ambitious look at the life of Queen Elizabeth II. Each season takes place during a different era in the queen's life, with a different actress portraying her.
With a fourth season on the way in 2020, Netflix announced a fifth and sixth season were also on the way, with the sixth serving as the final season. Imelda Staunton will play the role for the last two seasons.
Love Is Blind - Renewed
Not one to shy away from "guilty pleasure" television, Netflix debuted Love is Blind in February 2020. The reality program followed a group of men and women hoping to find love -- with a catch.
The contestants would be able to talk to each other through "pods" but were not allowed to see each other. Do you get the title of the show now? Viewers ate up the drama, leading Netflix to renew it for two more seasons.
Messiah - Canceled
One of Netflix's most ambitious original shows in 2020 was also one of its biggest failures. Messiah was about the aftermath of someone showing up in modern times claiming to be Jesus.
The show was met with an online backlash and audiences stayed away. Critics weren't too fond of it, either. All the negative publicity turned the show into a huge loss for Netflix, who was officially canceled it in March 2020.
Marianne - Canceled
Another one-and-done series, Marianne was a French horror production for Netflix that aired its first and only season in September 2019. The show revolved around a novelist who learns that the characters she creates for her horror novels are joining her in the real world.
Critics loved the show, but a lack of any serious marketing push doomed it. In January 2020, Netflix officially announced it would not be moving ahead with a second season.
Designated Survivor - Canceled
One of the biggest primetime premieres in recent years, it didn't take long for ABC to tire of Designated Survivor. The series, which starred Kiefer Sutherland as the president, was given the ax by ABC after two seasons.
Netflix jumped at the opportunity to bring the show to streaming, and picked it up for a third season. Fans and critics weren't very warm towards the new season, and Netflix canceled the show after one batch of new episodes.
Grace And Frankie - Renewed For Final Season
With six successful seasons in the book, Grace and Frankie began production on its seventh and final season in late 2019. In March, production was halted for uncontrollable reasons, putting the official release of the season in question.
Once the show airs its final batch of 16 episodes, it will be Netflix's longest-running original series having produced 94 episodes. Are you caught up on the adventures of these two unlikely friends, yet?
Another Life - Renewed
After one season with limited marketing and abysmal reviews, After Life was given a second chance with a second season renewal in October 2019. The high concept show stars Battlestar Galactica alum Katee Sackhoff as an astronaut tasked with finding the origins of a mysterious monolith.
Critics said: "a hodgepodge of science fiction homage, Another Life lacks the distinctive spark necessary to set it apart from the array of stories it aspires to be."
Spinning Out - Canceled
Netflix took a chance on Spinning Out, releasing the first and only season of the show in January 2020. The plot focused on a young ice skater who is given a second opportunity at her career after suffering a serious injury.
Critics found the show warm and light-hearted, and it even gained a loyal fan following. That didn't stop Netflix from canceling Spinning Out one month after it debuted.
Friends From College - Canceled
Release in 2017, Friends from College seemed like a can't miss concept. Starring Keegan-Michael Key and created by Nicholas Stoller, the comedy had every ingredient it needed to be a laugh riot.
Oddly enough, the laughs were sparse and the show was unevenly paced. Netflix gave the show a second season to right the ship in 2019, but it wasn't enough. In February 2019, the streamer announced it would not be moving forward with a third season of the comedy.
Castlevania - Renewed
Castlevania was originally intended to be a movie before it was split into four parts and sold to Netflix as a television show. Those four episodes were successful, leading to a second, and, then a third season.
In March 2020, after the third season of Castlevania debuted in the streamer's top ten, it was renewed for a fourth season. The show, based on the video game, follows Simon Belmont as he fights to save humanity from the world of the vampires.
The Ranch - Canceled
The Ranch, a comedy starring Ashton Kutcher playing a washed-up football star looking to restart his life, started slowly before becoming one of the best shows on Netflix. Then, right as the show was hitting its stride, one of its stars got in trouble with the law.
When Danny Masterson was unceremoniously removed from the show, it was also announced the fourth season would be its last. The final batch of episodes was released in January 2020.
The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - Finished
When Netflix released the first season of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt in 2015 it was hailed as the first great sitcom of the streaming era. Created by Tina Fey and starring Ellie Kemper, the show was nominated for a slew of awards.
In 2018, the show aired its fourth, and what was intended to be its final, season. Then Netflix surprised everyone by releasing a feature-length, interactive, Kimmy Schmidt movie in early 2020, officially ending the series.
Santa Clarita Diet - Canceled
A dark comedy viewed as the comeback vehicle for Drew Barrymore in 2017, Santa Clarita Diet followed her adventures as a wife and mom who becomes a zombie. The show lasted for three seasons and was officially canceled in April 2019.
Fans of the unique series were devastated to hear the news and have petitioned Netflix to change their mind, especially considering the cliffhanger the final season ended on. Sadly, they may never know what the writers had in store for them.
Locke And Keye - Renewed
Locke and Key dropped its first season on Netflix in February 2020. Based on a comic of the same name, the ambitious horror-fantasy hybrid found uneven footing with critics but plenty of viewers.
Netflix was quick to renew the show for a second season, allowing it to find its voice. Compared to Stranger Things initially, only time will tell how close these two shows actually are to each other.
The Punisher - Canceled
Another Netflix Marvel property, and another cancelation that left fans upset. The Punisher was first introduced in Daredevil before being given his own show on Netflix. After two seasons as the lead, Frank Castle was forced to say goodbye.
Like other Marvel shows, fans blamed the cancelation on the creation of Disney+ and hold out hope that The Punisher could be resurrected. Leaning less family-friendly than most Marvel properties, it's hard to see that happening though.
Anne With An E - Canceled
Anne with an E is a Canadian television series that was adapted from Lucy Maud Montgomery's 1908 children's literature book Anne of Green Gables. It was created for CBC Television by Moira Walley-Beckett and starred Amybeth McNulty as Anne Shirley.
While the series premiered in 2017 on CBC and internationally on Netflix, it was renewed for a second season in 2017 and a third in 2018. However, shortly after the third series was released in 2019, it was announced that it was going to be canceled on both CBC and Netflix.
Soundtrack - Canceled
Soundtrack is an American musical drama that premiered on Netflix on December 18, 2019. Created by Josh Safran, the premise has been described as "the love stories connecting a diverse, disparate group of people in contemporary Los Angeles and through the music that lives inside of their hearts and minds."
While undoubtedly the hope was that the show would become as popular as something like Glee, in January 2020, the series was canceled after its first season.
Mortel - Canceled
Mortel, with is French for "Deadly" or "Mortal," is a French supernatural series. The show follows three teenagers, with two who develop supernatural abilities after making a deal with a supernatural being in order to solve a murder.
Viewers had an issue with the combination of teenage drama and supernatural elements, so after premiering on Netflix in November 2019, in January 2020, it was announced that the show would not be renewed for a second season.
October Faction - Canceled
October Faction is an American supernatural television series created by Damian Kindler and based on the comic series of the same name by Steve Niles and Damien Worm.
The show follows a monster-hunting couple that travels the world defeating menacing beasts. Starring Tamara Taylor and K.C. Mackenzie, among others, it premiered on Netflix for 10 episodes. Yet, in March 2020, the series was canceled after its just one season and two-month run on the Netflix platform.
Osmosis - Canceled
Osmosis is a French science fiction series created by Audrey Fouche. Set in a near-future Paris, the show reveals the results of a new dating app called Osmosis that can discover true love between two people using the person's brain to match with 100% accuracy.
Of course, the app causes more problems than it solves. The first season of eight episodes was released on March 29, 2019, but on January 17, 2020, Netflix announced the cancelation of the series.
Travelers - Canceled
Travelers is a Canadian-American science fiction show created by Brad Wright. The series was an international co-production between Netflix and the Canadian specialty channel Showcase for its first two seasons.
After that, the show was taken over by Netflix. The show premiered worldwide on December 23, 2016, with a second season in 2017, and a third season in December 2018. However, in February 2019, the show's creator announced that the program had been canceled.
The Last Kingdom - Renewed
The Last Kingdom is a British historical fiction series based on Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Story series of novels. The first two series of eight episodes premiered on BBC America and on BBC Two in the UK in 2015 and 2017.
However, Netflix became the sole distributor of the third series in 2018 and the fourth series in 2020. The show was then renewed for a fifth series in July 2020 with no signs of slowing down.
Dead To Me - Renewed And Then Ended
Created by Liz Feldman and executive produced by Feldman, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and Jessica Elbaum, Dead to Me is a dark comedy series. The series premiered in May 2019 and follows two women (Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini) that are both grieving and bond during the therapy process, receiving positive reviews.
After receiving positive reviews, a second season was approved in 2019 and released in May 2020. In July 2020, the show was renewed for its third and final season.
Outer Banks - Renewed
Created by Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burks, Outer Banks premiered on Netflix on April 15, 2020. The show tells the story of a group of teenagers living in the Outer Banks of North Carolina who set out to find out what happened to the group's leader's father.
During the process, they discover that the father had discovered a massive treasure that may have resulted in his disappearance. In July 2020, the series was renewed for a second season.
Into The Night - Renewed
Into the Night is a Belgian apocalyptic science-fiction show created by Jason George. It is inspired by the 2015 Polish science fiction novel The Old Axolotl by Jace Dukaj. The series premiered on Netflix on May 1, 2020, and was renewed for a second season on July 1, 2020.
It is the first Belgian series to ever premiere on Netflix. Fans of the show are patiently waiting to see what will happen next in this gripping drama.
