Another phenomenal show falls victim to the cruelty that is Netflix’s cancellation standards. Words cannot describe how devastated I am with this cancellation in particular. It’s hard to find something new and exciting to watch on Netflix but this one in particular immediately grabbed my attention. Ghosts. Mysteries. A compelling cast and incredible writing. What more could you ask for? According to Netflix, a lot more it seems.
Dead Boy Detectives is a spin off of the platform’s popular show The Sandman. Both based on DC comics, the story is about two (dead) boys who solve supernatural mysteries and help other ghosts with their unfinished business. When they learn that a medium can see them, she joins their little team to help solve mysteries by being the connection they need to the world of the living. Of course the plot goes a lot deeper but you’ll just have to tune in to find out more about the story.
This isn’t the first show to become a victim of the deadly Netflix cancellations. Truth is, no show is. No matter how popular they are amongst viewers. So that raises the question: what is the causation of cancellations if viewers are enjoying the content? The majority of people would say views. Low views, high chance of getting cancelled. According to Variety, Dead Boy Detectives reached the number two spot on Netflix and had a viewership of 3.1 million during its first three days of premiering. It then rose to 4.7 but dropped to the third spot. Pretty decent numbers for a show that didn’t have a whole lot of promo (at least that I know of). They aren’t exactly Game of Thrones record breaking numbers but still good, all things considered.
Another reason for cancellation could be cost. Making a show isn’t cheap. There’s hiring writers lighting, sound, CGI, etc. All of it costs money. And what comes out of Netflix’s pockets, needs to eventually go back in. So it’s also likely that the show was deemed not profitable so they stopped stocking that product, so to speak. Which makes sense; Netflix is a business. And all businesses want to sell products that sell. They aren’t going to keep ones that cost them more to buy than what they’re actually selling. So keeping Dead Boy Detectives stocked wouldn’t be a good business decision despite it being popular with its consumers.
Many people have also pointed out a sort of pattern regarding how and what Netflix cancels. Disclaimer though: I’m not saying any of this is true nor am I agreeing. I’m merely pointing out what people online have said. Fans online have discussed many times that there seems to be a pattern to the shows that Netflix cancels. Diverse stories, such as those with a queer or poc background, seem to be always put on the back burner or taken off the stove altogether. Shows such as Sense8, The OA and The Midnight Club (amongst many others) are prime examples of such representations that found themselves on the chopping block. Regardless of being fan favorites, Netflix isn’t going to keep shows that don’t meet expectations of their shareholders. Now what those expectations are, we’re yet to figure that out since even popular shows didn’t make the cut in the past. As frustrating as that is, it’s impossible to not notice the trend that people have picked up on regarding what gets cancelled and what gets picked up. Even their animated shows with representation are suffering from the same fate, Dead End: Paranormal Park being a very good example of that. It’s nearly impossible to ignore the signs when you sit there and read more about it. Coincidence? Seems that way when a large amount of cancellations all have a recurring theme.
It’s only natural for fans to be angry. Hell, I’m angry. Netflix rarely puts out bangers but this show banged hard. As a fan of the supernatural and a lover of a good mystery, this was right up my alley. It always hurts when a good show gets tossed away but the important thing is that we show our support and voice our disappointment. Let it be known that Netflix made a poor choice. Nothing is impossible when it comes to social media and using our words to voice our opinions. So if you can, take to social media and let Netflix know that cancelling Dead Boy Detectives was a mistake.
Dead Boy Detectives is available to stream on Netflix.
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