Although Netflix’s canceled shows range in genre, the animated TV shows seem to see the boot increasingly more frequently, some earlier than they should. After a 200,000 subscriber drop in 2022, Netflix tightened its purse strings, resulting in dedicated fans only getting one or two seasons before a cancelation. This isn’t exclusive to animated shows, since live-action, young-adult series like The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself also only has one season even though they saw positive audience and critic reviews. Because of Netflix’s vast library of content, the challenge to compete and measure up in terms of ratings makes cancelations an unfortunate reality for new shows to consider.
However, even if a show performs well initially, like the adaptation from the supernatural thriller book series Lockwood & Co., which got 79.91 million hours in the global top 10s during its first three weeks, cancelation can still occur (via What’s On Netflix). With animation, shows that don’t have a high completion rate or don’t measure up to the cost-to-produce/viewership ratio tend to be axed after one or two seasons, like with Hoops. While this is fair, it leads to incomplete important stories about relatable topics like mental health and queer representation, proving that cartoons aren’t just for kids but rather can resonate beyond just a niche audience.
5 The Midnight Gospel
1 Season (2020)
While The Midnight Gospel is a bit more unique in structure and core premise than long-running Netflix animated TV shows like BoJack Horseman, it’s this exact surreal, fresh take that makes it stand out. Created by Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward and comedian Duncan Trussell, it takes Trussell’s real-life podcast interviews and couples them with extra voice work and otherworldly visuals, all while telling a story. The sci-fi dimension, Chromatic Ribbon, sees Clancy Gilroy (Trussell) moving between different worlds on the cusp of disaster and interviewing its inhabitants for his space-cast.
Although the show didn’t leave audiences with any cliffhangers, its juxtaposition between chaotic visuals and introspective dialogue is a way to highlight the notion of how conversations and interactions can turn someone’s world inside out and offer enlightening moments seen in The Midnight Gospel. This focus on open discourse encourages the idea of differing perspectives amidst a world often stricken with devastation or conflict. Trussell echoes the desire for more in a tweet, stating, “In my mind, there’s one more season.” He also metaphorically insinuates that streamers are the only ones who could actualize this, as seen below:
4 Q-Force
1 Season (2021)
Q-Force, which stands for Queer Force, follows a group of undervalued spies led by gay secret agent Steve Mayweather (Sean Hayes). The team is also comprised of Stat (Patti Harrison), Twink (Matt Rogers), and Deb (Wanda Sykes). The season shows Steve’s attempts to prove his and his team’s ability to do their jobs all while Steve’s rival Rick Buck (David Harbour) is sent to liaise between Q-Force and the American Intelligence Agency (AIA). The season arc sees the force infiltrating Mira (Stephanie Beatriz) in her mission to use Greyscale technology to brainwash people.
While critiqued for tired queer tropes, the core idea of representation is important. Had the show continued, some of the best Q-Force characters besides Steve, like Stat, could have gotten more screen time, so more nuanced portrayals of queer identities could’ve been explored. It may have dated humor at times, but its likable characters and the room to play with the spy sub-genre in a more light-hearted yet grounded way suggest the show could have dug deeper had it continued in terms of queer relationships and character development. For instance, Steve admits to Benji (Gabe Liedman) that he’s a spy in the final episode, leaving their romance open to unpack new challenges and dynamics.
3 Tuca & Bertie
1 Season (2019)
Tuca & Bertie, with voice-acting from Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong, follows two anthropomorphic bird best friends as they navigate adulthood and live in the same apartment complex. With distinctly different personalities, Tuca as the loud, impulsive toucan and Bertie as the mild-mannered, anxious song thrush, the duo go through many ups and downs together, each time showcasing how to cope and deal with struggles in a world that’s often absurd. This absurdism is represented in the animation, such as the snake subways.
While this is the only list entry that was picked up by a different network, the reaction to its abrupt cancelation indicates how the portrayal of adult friendships and the anxiety surrounding adulthood is apt for many viewers. Fans took to Twitter, tweeting hashtags #RenewTucaAndBertie and #SaveTucaAndBertie. Although the show was also canceled by Adult Swim, it gives fans a more conclusive end to the characters and how they’ve grown, like Bertie in her career and relationship with Speckle (Steven Yeun). Ultimately, its light-hearted guise through which to discuss universal struggles, like addiction, pain, workplace conflict, and women’s health, paints the show as an important lesson Netflix let go of too soon.
2 Inside Job
1 Season (2021-2022)
Inside Job follows Reagan Ridley (Lizzy Caplan), an intelligent robotics engineer with minimal social skills who works for Cognito Inc., a shadow government. Her motivation stems from her goal to improve society as a whole and gain a promotion. The core idea behind the show came to show creator Shion Takeuchi in college when she first heard about the concept of the shadow government and how it made her realize people would be absorbed in their own lives, “barely getting this job done” (via Polygon). Using conspiracies as an entry point provides an entertaining way to dive into human thought and conflict without making it impossible for audiences to connect with.
While the focus on conspiracy theories may be less relatable, Takeuchi’s fascination with seemingly paradoxical human tendencies, like feeling helpless about turmoil in the world, brings Reagan’s character to the forefront in terms of being relatable. This is because it highlights how goals can sometimes not align with personality but that perseverance and good intentions still hold weight. The show’s reveal of The Shadow Board’s secret plan, “Project X37,” is an unresolved plot point due to Netflix pulling out of their previous plan for Inside Job season 2. More exploration of personal growth in an environment of cynicism could’ve happened by unveiling what this project is in a subsequent season.
1 Dead End: Paranormal Park
2 Seasons (2022)
Dead End: Paranormal Park had poor promotion and was canceled after two seasons with one of the more upsetting cliffhangers. The conclusion shows Norma (Kody Kavitha) turning to demons Zagan and Temeluchus to help get revenge on the angels, then discovering the two demons’ mother is in a sarcophagus when Temeluchus asks her what she thinks of Norma’s proposition. Show creator Hamish Steele shared in a tweet announcement, “It’s with a heavy heart that I tell you Dead End is over.” He also reassures fans that the story will be concluded in the third of the DeadEndia books, which the show is based on.
Without a satisfying ending on-screen, fans are left with a show that provides much-needed cultural, racial, and LGBTQIA+ representation. Through its protagonists, Barney (Zach Barack), a gay transgender male character, and Norma, an autistic Pakistani-American bisexual girl, the show gives voice to typically underrepresented groups without painting them as ‘other.’ Paranormal Park also includes many other characters of different cultures and religions, like Norma’s best friend, Badyah, who is Muslim. With carefully curated stories of relatable human struggles and necessary diverse representation, some of Netflix’s canceled animated TV shows are an indication that there’s often more worth exploring in this medium.
Sources: What’s On Netflix, Twitter/duncantrussell, Polygon, Twitter/hamishsteele
