Netflix and Amazon are the undisputed kings of the streaming services. Their major strength is the ability to make unique television shows. Over the past five plus years, Netflix and Amazon have become major players among the streaming service universe when it comes to scripted television.
Their ability to hire the best writers and showrunners has drawn major talent from the cinema world. Michael Douglas, Billy Bob Thornton, Spike Lee, and more found big success on the small screen thanks to the two services. As with any network, shows get canceled. Here are the five best canceled Netflix shows and the five best from Amazon Prime.
Netflix: She’s Gotta Have It (2 Seasons)
Spike Lee’s breakthrough film, 1986’s She’s Gotta Have It was a critical success and put the filmmaker on the map. It was a big deal when Lee returned to his lead character Nola Darling after 32 years when Netflix financed a show based on the film’s characters.
As the film was groundbreaking, so was the series. Lee’s pairing with Netflix birthed two seasons that were acclaimed for their realistic portrayals of Black women and their struggles in life and romance. Fans were stunned by Netflix’s abrupt cancelation after two seasons.
Amazon: Transparent (5 Seasons)
Amazon Prime broke new ground for content with this popular critical darling. Jeffery Tambor starred as a father of grown children who decides to transition to a woman.
Praised for its honest look at the lives of the LGTBQ communities, Transparent won multiple awards and garnered quite a large following. Sadly, the show ended after 5 seasons due to inner controversies that would lead to the exit of its star Jeffery Tambor.
Netflix: Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return (2 Seasons)
Mst3k (referred to by its legions of fans) was a groundbreaking comedy and one of the most beloved cult shows in television history. It told the story of “Joel” and later “Mike” who was stranded in space and forced to watch bad movies, riffing their way through.
Netflix came to the rescue of fans who missed the show 18 years after it ended in 1999, green-lighting Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return. With a new host “Jonah,” the show recaptured its magic. To the shock of its cast and fan-base, Netflix abruptly canceled MST3K: The Return late November of 2019 after only two seasons. No reason has been given.
Amazon: Hand of God (2 Seasons)
Hand of God was one of the first Amazon Prime shows to be tested. It followed an unstable judge who has a breakdown and he believes God is sending him on a path of vengeance.
Ron Perlman’s lead performance received rave reviews from critics as the title character and the writing was praised for its realistic portrayal of mental illness. The show never found a large following and was canceled after only 2 seasons.
Netflix: Luke Cage (2 Seasons)
Fans of the Marvel comic series were thrilled when Netflix brought their beloved Luke Cage to the small screen. Everyone seemed to get behind the casting of Mike Colter in the titular role and its two seasons drew high ratings and praise from critics.
Season 2 started with even more praise and was said to keep the momentum going but the old Hollywood cliché of “creative differences” plagued the production, leading to Netflix canceling the show after 2 seasons.
Amazon: Crisis In Six Scenes (1 Season)
Woody Allen started in television and vowed to never return until Amazon struck a big financial deal for a one-off six-episode series. Allen was given full creative control and Crisis In Six Scenes was born.
The show focused on an older suburban couple living in the 1960s who have their life upended by a free-spirited young hippie. Allen and Elaine May played the couple and Miley Cyrus played the hippie. Reviews were solid with many saying Cyrus did award-worthy work. Amazon wanted another season but Woody declined. This and other reasons led to the abrupt end of the contract between the filmmaker
Netflix: Dear White People (4 Seasons)
Another show based on a popular independent film, this one being a continuation of creator Justin Simien’s 2014 film Dear White People.
The series follows a group of black students navigating racial and social issues on a modern Ivy League campus. A solid viewership and some critical acclaim led the “dramedy” to last for 4 well-received seasons.
Amazon: Mozart In The Jungle (4 Seasons)
The streaming service received high praise for green-lighting the unique comedy Mozart in the Jungle, which focused on musicians who explore love and self-reflection among the New York Symphony Orchestra.
Gael Garcia Bernal (and the show) won a Golden Globe and Lola Kirke received critical accolades for her work, as did the talented cast, which included Bernadette Peters and Malcolm McDowell. After Jennifer Salke took over as Amazon’s boss, she issued a directive to feature less independent projects and more big-budget shows. The series was canceled after 4 seasons
Netflix: Daredevil (3 Seasons)
One of the most popular Marvel characters, Daredevil, had a rough start with an unused screenplay and a widely panned film before Netflix allowed Stan Lee’s creation to flourish in its small-screen series.
Charlie Cox starred as the blind, crime-fighting vigilante and his performance pleased both fans and critics. No one reason for the cancelation was given but many believe it was due to the then-upcoming Disney streaming channel. This has never been officially confirmed as it was solely Netflix’s decision.
Amazon: Jean-Claude Van Johnson (1 Season)
An attempt to keep the international action star relevant in today’s Hollywood, Amazon financed this action-comedy where Van Damme played a version of himself who moonlights as an international spy.
The show wasn’t widely praised but some critics enjoyed the action star poking fun at himself. The show received a cult following but was canceled after only one season.
