https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2023/01/16/netflix-has-created-a-self-fulfilling-cancelation-loop-with-its-new-shows/ Subscribe Sign In BETA This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here More From Forbes Jan 16, 2023,10:18am EST It's Become Clear What Destiny 2's Best Content Format Is Now Jan 16, 2023,09:28am EST 'Hogwarts Legacy' Is Already The #1 Selling Game On Steam And PS5, #2 On Xbox Jan 16, 2023,08:45am EST HBO's 'The Last Of Us' Surpasses Even Sky-High Expectations Jan 16, 2023,01:16am EST HBO's 'The Last Of Us' Isn't Exactly The Same As The Game, And That's A Good Thing Jan 15, 2023,11:53pm EST Today's Wordle #576 Hints, Clues And Answer For Monday, January 16th Jan 15, 2023,10:30pm EST 'The Last Of Us' Series Premiere Recap And Review: 'When You're Lost In The Darkness' Jan 15, 2023,10:08pm EST Today's 'Heardle' Answer And Clues For Monday, January 16 Edit Story ForbesInnovationGames Netflix Has Created A Self-Fulfilling Cancelation Loop With Its New Shows Paul Tassi Senior Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. News and opinion about video games, television, movies and the internet. Following New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. Got it! New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Jan 16, 2023,10:46am EST| Press play to listen to this article! Got it! * Share to Facebook * Share to Twitter * Share to Linkedin 1899 Netflix A couple weeks ago, I remarked that Netflix now felt like it was "actively stealing time from me." I can almost not even remember which cancelation I was talking about at the time, given that there have been so many, but I believe it was 1899, the new show from the creators of Dark, which like Dark, was set up as part of 3-season arc. Naturally, it was cancelled on a cliffhanger after a single season because it didn't attract enough viewership or have enough people finish all the episodes in some arbitrary stretch of time. But what's happened now is that this has happened so often with so many shows, that Netflix has created a self-fulfilling loop with many series that probably could have gone on to become valuable catalogue additions otherwise. The idea is that since you know that Netflix cancels so many shows after one or two seasons, ending them on cliffhangers and leaving their storylines unfinished, it's almost not worth investing in a show until it's already ended, and you know it's going to have a coherent ending and finished arc. The Midnight Club Netflix So you hold off watching new shows, even ones you might otherwise be interested in, because you're afraid Netflix will cancel them. Enough people do this and surprise, viewership is low! And the show ends up cancelled. The loop is closed, and reinforced, because now there's yet another example cited, causing even more people to be cautious the next time around. And now we've reached a point where unless a series is some sort of record-breaking fluke megahit (Wednesday) or established super franchise (Stranger Things), a second or third season feels like not even a coinflip, but more like 10-20% shot, at best. MORE FOR YOU Meet The Unknown Immigrant Billionaire Betting Her Fortune To Take On Musk In Space Chevron Phillips Chemical Embraces Cultural Innovation Amid A Renaissance, Arsenal Unveils New Stadium Artwork Celebrating Its History And Legends Netflix's cancelation policies have informed its viewers that if you want a show you like renewed, you need to watch it immediately, you need to tell all your friends to watch it immediately, and you need to finish all episodes in a short period of time. Anything less than that will result in likely cancelation, with the problem being, of course, that this runs contrary to the entire promise of a streaming service like Netflix in the first place. The core concept of "on demand" streaming was that ability to watch what you wanted, when you wanted to. But now binging a series in its opening weekend isn't just an option to have, it feels almost mandatory, lest the negative data reflect poorly on a show you might otherwise like. Warrior Nun Netflix Something has broken with this model. It's now created a system where creators should be afraid to make a series that dares to end on a cliffhanger or save anything for future seasons, lest their story forever be left unfinished. And viewers are afraid to commit to any show that isn't a completely aired package lest they spend 10-30 hours on something that ends up unresolved, which has happened dozens and dozens of times, creating a vast "show graveyard" within Netflix, full of landmines viewers are going to be discovering for years (I just had a friend send me an angry text once he learned Warrior Nun was cancelled after committing to its first two seasons, which he loved). This will happen countless times to millions of current and future subscribers. Netflix needs to get ahold of this. I don't think even they understand what it's doing to their brand or how they're conditioning their own viewerbase with constant negative reinforcement like some demented behavioral experiment. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to my free weekly content round-up newsletter, God Rolls. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy. Paul Tassi Paul Tassi * Editorial Standards * Print * Reprints & Permissions [ ]