Hailey van Braam
With so much content at its disposal, Netflix can be a bit notorious for wielding the knife on shows that aren’t up to the mark. After only three weeks of airing, Netflix decided to cancel the live-action, Cowboy Bebop despite featuring on the Netflix Top 10 list in 17 countries. This shows that making it to the top 10 doesn’t quite translate to series renewal.
Why Did Netflix Give Cowboy Bebop The Axe?
Despite Cowboy Bebop being one of the biggest hit shows this year, it has received mixed reviews, with some fans claiming that the live-action adaptation doesn’t live up to its anime.
In its first week of streaming, the sci-fi hit #6 in the Netflix top 10 shows worldwide, accumulating 21,630,000 viewership hours. In the second week, it performed exceptionally well, rocketing to #2 after Kevin Hart’s True Story, with 36,950,000 viewership hours. However, in the third week, the number of viewership hours plummeted to 15,260,000, seeing the show slipping to #9.
What makes Netflix cancel a show is if its viewership fails to measure up to its production costs. So far, the streaming company dished out $ 1.5 million for Cowboy Bebop’s e promo campaign. But despite that, the show wasn’t the remake some fans were eagerly expecting to see.
Cowboy Bebop Isn’t The Only One Hit Wonder
Generally, the chances of Netflix renewing its scripted series that make it past the first season are 60%, with the verdict being influenced by viewership against cost statuses.
So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that shows get canceled after just one season if they fail to meet the set standards. In fact, Netflix has canceled over 30 series after their initial season, including The Get Down, Girlboss, Gypsy, Disjointed and the list goes on of once-famous one-and-done annulments.
