We’re only one month into 2026, but Netflix has already canceled three big TV series, continuing a frustrating streaming-era trend. TV cancellations have always been disappointing, but they’ve become even more exasperating in recent years. The often unclear criteria used to renew or axe titles — which typically accounts for things like hours streamed during the first week or month — rarely gives new projects time to find their footing. It also gives audiences little time to discover new shows. And when they do, there’s always the risk of learning they’ve been canceled almost immediately after.
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It’s one of the biggest complaints about Netflix’s cancellations, and the streamer has gotten a reputation for doing away with series after just one or two outings. Other services do this, too, but it’s become a bigger point of contention with Netflix. It doesn’t help that, according to Watch in America data, the streamer axed the most series of any streamer in 2024 (16 in total). It canceled another 30 in 2025 (via What’s on Netflix) — including The Waterfront, which was in its Top 10 — and it’s already up to three in 2026.
Netflix Has Canceled 3 Shows in 2026, Including Alice in Borderland
With the streaming era throwing network TV seasons out the window, cancellations happen year-round — and Netflix has already decided to not move forward with three series this year. It’s a rough way to kick off 2026, especially as two of them had multiple seasons under their belts and dedicated followings. Netflix’s newly canceled shows are:
- The Abandons
- The Vince Staples Show
- Alice in Borderland
The Abandons was the newest of the bunch, having dropped its first and only season in December. The Western — which hailed from Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter and starred Game of Thrones alum Lena Headey and The X-Files‘ Gillian Anderson — was poised to become a Yellowstone replacement. Sadly, Netflix’s cancellation means that won’t happen now. It seems a combination of low viewership and high production costs factored into the decision; it’s a mix that’s led to the deaths of Netflix titles in the past.
The choice to cancel The Vince Staples Show also seemed to come down to viewership, though Netflix hasn’t addressed its reasoning officially. The streamer’s Second Half of 2025 Viewership Report indicated that Season 2 only got 1.7 million views — a steep drop from Season 1’s 4.6 million. Fans have taken to social media to express their disappointment, but that seems unlikely to change Netflix’s mind on the matter.
And then there’s the biggest cancellation to come from the streamer in 2026 so far: Alice in Borderland. Netflix appears to have quietly canceled the live-action adaptation following its third outing in September. Given the backlash Alice in Borderland Season 3 faced, it wasn’t a total shock, even if the series’ streaming numbers remained strong. But the fact that Netflix merely referred to it as the “final season” in its Second Half of 2025 Viewership Report was a bit of a surprise.
Netflix’s Newly Canceled TV Shows Don’t Bode Well for Addressing 1 Subscriber Complaint
If subscribers were hoping that Netflix and other streamers would fix the issues with trigger cancellations in the streaming era, this latest batch of them doesn’t bode well. Of course, continuing to cancel so many streaming projects is likely feeding into the problem. If viewers believe there’s a good chance series will be canceled before they really get off the ground, they won’t invest time or interest in them. Then it becomes a loop, with shows regularly not getting the viewership they need to continue. Eventually, companies like Netflix are going to have to work on rebuilding trust with subscribers — or else, there’s a good chance cancellations like these will continue to rise.
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