Netflix has started the year 2026 staying on brand by canceling two original series, which reveal how rapidly the streaming market can change. The thematic range of these two series is wide apart — one is a huge-scale Western drama led by a Game of Thrones alum, and the other is a satirical comedy. These cancelations are indicative of Netflix's data-oriented policy, as the number of viewers and retention rates often dominate over critical acclaim or star presence in deciding the fate of shows. 

The streaming titan is notorious for dropping original series despite them being well-loved by fans. Curious about which shows Netflix canceled this time?

Netflix has decided to ditch The Abandons after it had completed its first season, thereby putting to an end the ambitious Western drama's hopes of getting a second season. The show was launched in December 2025 and featured Lena Headey of Game of Thrones and S-- Education's Gillian Anderson as head of the family clans of the two rival families. 

Engaged in the midst of a struggle over territory, secrets, and survival in 1850s America, the show was pitched by Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy) and attracted a decent number of viewers in the beginning. However, its performance declined quite rapidly after the premiere, garnering only 23% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

According to Deadline, Netflix's What We Watched semi-annual report on viewership between July and December 2025 suggests that The Abandons accumulated 19.8M views in its first 28 days since its December 4, 2026, premiere day, attaining a spot in the Top 10 for 2 weeks. However, it faded away from the Top 10, collecting only 4.8M more views in the next 17 days.

Though the stunning cast featuring Love, Simon's Nick Robinson, Booksmart's Diana Silvers, Game of Thrones' Aisling Franciosi, alongside Heady and Anderson, whose fiery chemistry got several fans hooked and demading The Abandons Season 2's fate had changed course early on. Right before the filming wrapped up, the show's creative team experienced a major change during the production, as Sutter abandoned the series, citing creative differences. And now The Abandons stands canceled alongside other comedy gems that even secured a sequel.

'The Abandons' Season 2 on Netflix: Cast, Plot, and Possibilities of the Wild Western Drama Return

Netflix's axe is blind to the star power being the center of attention of any show that does not promise stability, whether it is an action-packed drama or a refreshing comedy with critical acclaim.

Also on the chopping block is The Vince Staples Show, a next-level comedy that stars and is co-created by rapper Vince Staples. The series will be returning no more after two seasons, as it has failed to gain a wide audience despite the critical acclaim and being utterly innovative. 

The rapper depicts a fictional version loosely based on his life and navigates the challenges in a satirical comedy based on Long Beach. The show stars Andrea Ellsworth, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Beau Billingslea, and Naté Jones, and guest appearances include Rick Ross, Scott MacArthur, Bryan Greenberg, Arturo Castro, Matt Oberg, etc.

The second season, released in November 2025, had lower viewership than its first, which was one of the reasons that led Netflix to not carry on with the show. The show never charted on Netflix’s Weekly Top 10 but received 94% critics score and 88% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

According to Deadline, the first season of the show only earned 4.6 million views from February 15, 2024, through June 30, 2024. Its second season underperformed as well, making only 1.7 million views. This has ultimately led Netflix to cancel the show.

‘The Abandons’ on Netflix: Cast, Plot, Release Date, Filming Locations and All You Need to Know About the New Western 1850s Drama

What are your thoughts on these Netflix cancelations? Let us know in the comments.