In the age of streaming, TV cancellations are far too common — and ending on agonizing cliffhangers. Most of these cancellations are explained by viewership numbers and negative reviews, but there are a handful of projects whose fates remain surprising.
Given the fan bases surrounding these titles and the fact that they boast positive reviews, one could even say these cancellations don't make sense. Networks and streamers want to ensure they're benefiting from a series before continuing its run, and that's understandable. But in the modern era of television, that often prevents good shows from getting the chance to find their footing. This leads to frustrations about certain cancellations, and a handful of them feel unbelievable, even after the reasons for the decision come out.
6 Shadow And Bone
Canceled After 2 Seasons
Shadow and Bone
- Release Date
- 2021 - 2023-00-00
- Showrunner
- Eric Heisserer
WHERE TO WATCH
Shadow and Bone remains one of Netflix's most disappointing fantasy cancellations, especially given how much excitement surrounded the series ahead of its debut. Fans of Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse books were eager to see them adapted on-screen, and Netflix did its due diligence with the first season. Some new fantasy shows have noticeably limited budgets, but Shadow and Bone proved an ambitious undertaking from the jump. Everything from its stunning sets to its cast suggested that Netflix viewed it as an investment.
Netflix Canceling 1 Of Its Greatest Fantasy Shows With 83% On RT Was Disappointing, But There's A Silver Lining
Netflix canceling one of its greatest fantasy shows will always be disappointing, but there is a silver lining to the series meeting an early end.
That's why it's so surprising that Netflix fan campaign to bring back Shadow and Bone confirmed there was still demand.
With demand for Shadow and Bone season 3, canceling it seemed like a questionable choice, especially given the criticisms Netflix faces for axing so many of its original series. The fact that continuing the series could have led to an even more highly anticipated Six of Crows spinoff made matters worse. Perhaps the streamer didn't realize the potential such a series had, but Bardugo's Six of Crows books are even more beloved than their predecessors. For this reason, not following through on one more season and a spinoff was a mistake.
5 Lucifer
Canceled After 3 Seasons (But Brought Back)
Your comment has not been saved
Lucifer is one of the rare fantasy shows to be canceled and then saved, with Netflix giving the series the opportunity to have a proper ending. The first three seasons of Lucifer aired on Fox, but the network canceled the supernatural procedural due to a declining audience, as well as for economic reasons (via CBR). While the numbers can't be contested, Lucifer accumulated a cult following throughout its run, and trying to cancel the series without a proper ending was a dubious decision on Fox's part. At the very least, giving it one more outing would have avoided major frustrations.
The fact that Lucifer continued for so long after its near-cancellation suggests that its audience hadn't shrunk that massively.
Thankfully, Netflix stepped in to save Lucifer, granting it three more seasons before it concluded. The fact that Lucifer continued for so long after its near-cancellation suggests that its audience hadn't shrunk that massively, making Fox's choice that much more perplexing. It's probably for the best that the series moved to Netflix, however, as its quality improved after the move.
4 Warrior Nun
Canceled After 2 Seasons
Your comment has not been saved
- Showrunner
- Simon Barry
Netflix might have saved Lucifer, but its choice to cancel Warrior Nun proved an unpopular one — and the streamer's refusal to reverse that decision, even after fans rallied behind the series, didn't make a ton of sense. Warrior Nun was yet another victim of decreased viewership (via Deadline), but it's hard to get behind that explanation for a couple of reasons. For one, the show still spent a few weeks in Netflix's Top 10 and maintained a fairly dedicated audience. It also didn't receive much marketing for season 2, which might've helped to boost its numbers.
Shadow And Bone & 6 Other Female-Led Fantasy TV Shows Canceled Too Soon
There is no shortage of amazing fantasy series that have been canceled before their prime, but these female-led fantasy shows really deserved better.
Like many other canceled series, Warrior Nun likely could have turned things around in a third season, especially if it received the marketing it deserved. Season 1 was incredibly popular, and season 2 boasted a 100% fans who campaigned to revive Warrior Nun and allowed it to go out on a high note.
3 Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina
Canceled After 4 Seasons
Your comment has not been saved
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
- Release Date
- 2018 - 2020-00-00
- Showrunner
- Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
WHERE TO WATCH
Of all Netflix's fantasy cancellations, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina's was the least understandable, as it already had four successful seasons on the platform and seemed poised to deliver another. The COVID-19 pandemic was the reason for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina being canceled, but there were plenty of series that faced production delays and still managed to return later on. Given Chilling Adventures of Sabrina's consistently positive reception, it's surprising it wasn't one of them. And the series' controversial ending didn't help matters.
10 Underrated Fantasy Shows On Netflix You Shouldn't Be Missing Out On
These underrated fantasy shows on Netflix deserve way more love, especially when the streaming platform is famous for canceling great fantasy TV.
Sabrina Spellman's later appearance in Riverdale did smooth things over a bit, but the crossover between the two series could have been even better had the Netflix show continued. Given how highly anticipated this crossover was, it's even more shocking Netflix didn't renew Chilling Adventures of Sabrina for one more outing. The choice to wrap things up without more planning was odd at the time, and it contributed to some major disappointment.
2 The Wheel Of Time
Canceled After 3 Seasons
Your comment has not been saved
The Wheel of Time
- Release Date
- November 18, 2021
- Network
- Prime Video
WHERE TO WATCH
- Showrunner
- Rafe Judkins
A more recent fantasy cancellation that came as a surprise was The Wheel of Time, which just finished its third season on Prime Video in April 2025. Although The Wheel of Time proved a divisive adaptation of Robert Jordan's books during its first two seasons, things seemed to be improving by the end of season 2. The Wheel of Time season 3 was the show's best outing yet, with the newest batch of episodes boasting a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score — a huge step up from seasons 1 and 2, which both landed in the 80s.
With The Wheel of Time season 3 finally winning viewers over, it's bizarre that Prime Video chose to cancel it now. There was much more source material to adapt, and given the chance to evolve more, the show could've become one of the platform's biggest offerings. The fact that The Rings of Power got renewed made this decision even more perplexing, as both have received similarly mixed responses from audiences.
1 My Lady Jane
Canceled After 1 Season
Your comment has not been saved
My Lady Jane
- Release Date
- 2024 - 2024-00-00
- Showrunner
- Gemma Burgess, Meredith Glynn
WHERE TO WATCH
George R.R. Martin lamented the series ending so early, but it seems the viewership numbers weren't enough to warrant another outing. That said, My Lady Jane only needed one more season to wrap up its story, which was adapted from the book of the same name, written by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows.
It seems like Prime Video should have just greenlit a second season, which would have completed the story and satisfied fans.
For that reason, it seems like Prime Video should have just greenlit a second season, which would have completed the story and satisfied fans. It would've benefited the streamer to have a finished fantasy series rather than one that was cut short, as viewers are growing frustrated with frequent cancellations. That would've reflected well on Prime Video, but unfortunately, it just wasn't in the cards for My Lady Jane.
Your comment has not been saved