Loading up a streaming platform is much more convenient than turning on a cable box and surfing through hundreds of channels. Sure, it takes quite a bit of effort sometimes to find a good movie or show on a streamer, as they tend to hide projects, but that’s still better than navigating all the unknown quantities on cable. However, Prime Video, HBO Max, and all the other streaming giants face their own sets of challenges, particularly in sustaining TV shows. A solid following isn’t enough to save projects these days, as surviving in the streaming world is as tricky as navigating a minefield.
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Netflix is notorious for cancelling TV shows, being willing to cut the cord even when the entire world is telling them not to. However, the company appears to have it out for one genre over the others. Here are five promising fantasy shows that I still can’t believe Netflix cancelled so early.
5) Warrior Nun
It’s not unusual for Netflix to adapt a popular novel into a TV show or movie, but it rarely tries its hand at bringing comic books to life. Well, it took a chance with Ben Dunn’s Warrior Nun Areala, tapping Simon Berry to create a show based on the story. All the pieces came together, and after one season, it looked like Netflix had a major winner on its hands.
After Warrior Nun Season 2, which continued the fascinating tale of Ava Silva, an orphan who found herself joining an ancient order tasked with ridding the world of demons, Netflix pulled the plug. A trilogy of movies was planned to wrap up the show’s story, but it never materialized.
4) Shadow and Bone
Eric Heisserer saw potential in Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone trilogy of books and created a show that brought the Grishaverse to life. Netflix attracted some top talent to the project, including Ben Barnes and Jessica Mei Li. Shadow and Bone Season 1 went off without a hitch and even created its own original storyline, proving that it was meant to be more than just a one-to-one adaptation.
The show’s second season didn’t skip a beat, picking up right after the events of the first outing. Unfortunately, it was given the axe after that, despite ending on a decent-sized cliffhanger. Not even a grassroots campaign to save Shadow and Bone had any effect.
3) Kaos
It feels like anything Jeff Goldblum touches turns to gold these days. However, not even he can stop Netflix from doing what it does best. Goldblum starred as Zeus in the dark comedy series Kaos, which followed a group of humans who discovered they had a connection to the Greek gods.
Despite its wacky premise, Kaos received solid reviews, which was all anyone could ask for. It even featured an epic conclusion that left the door open for more seasons. Since it’s on this list, though, that obviously didn’t come to pass, as it was cancelled only a couple of months after its release.
2) The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
In the fantasy world, there are few names more critical than Jim Henson, who created so many iconic creatures. Some of his best work came in his 1982 film The Dark Crystal, which took place on a mysterious planet being oppressed by its evil ruler, Skeksis. It was up to two Gelflings to save the day, and they got the job done.
Decades later, Netflix released a prequel to Henson’s movie called The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. All the magic of the original was still present, with modern technology enhancing the planet Thra’s realism. But critical acclaim wasn’t enough for Netflix to give the show more than one season.
1) Fate: The Winx Saga
The idea of turning the popular Winx Club animated series into a live-action show had been circulating for years. Still, the project finally gained momentum toward the end of the 2010s. Fate: The Winx Saga was intended to be Netflix’s answer to YA dramas like The Vampire Diaries and Teen Wolf, but it proved to have more potential than its inspirations, fleshing out its characters and the Otherworld with ease.
Unlike some of the other shows on this list, Fate: The Winx Saga actually got a second crack at it, releasing a second season in 2022. That’s all the leeway it got, though, because it got cancelled shortly after that. The show’s story has continued in graphic novel form, proving that it had the makings of something special.
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