Another week, another Netflix dead show—your one-stop streaming shop for television shows you shouldn’t get too attached to. The Streaming Reaper has struck again, this time for the found-footage horror series Archive 81, which Deadline reports the streamer has declined to renew for a second season.
That’s both a bummer and a bit of a surprise—or as much of one as Netflix cancelling a show can be these days. After all, Archive 81 not only received critical acclaim, but it also reportedly performed well for the service, breaking into the company’s Top 10 for original programming ratings.
When it was released earlier this year, Archive 81 was a complete surprise. The show was terrifying and riffed on the found footage genre.
An archivist takes on a new job restoring damaged videotapes, and the plot revolved around him. He becomes entangled in a mystery involving a missing director and a demonic cult while working on the restoration.
It was created by Rebecca Sonnenshine, who was a producer on The Boys, and starred Mamoudou Athie and Dina Shihabi.
When it first aired, it was an instant hit, quickly rising to the top of Netflix’s global ratings. However, due to Netflix’s crowded schedule, it didn’t stay at the top for long, with the latest season of Ozark stealing the show’s thunder.
When it was released, however, it outperformed Stay Close, The Witcher, and Emily In Paris. It was also a critical success, with an 86 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Netflix has not stated why a second season will not be produced, but it is known for being ruthless when it comes to renewing shows.
Marianne, a fantastic French shocker that only lasted one season, had a similar fate in the horror genre. GLOW and The Irregulars are two other shows that have recently been cancelled.
Netflix is known for cancelling shows, but it also resurrects them. This is evidenced by the recent season of Top Boy. When Drake got involved, the show was picked up by Netflix after it first aired on terrestrial TV in the UK.
Shows like Schitt’s Creek only gained a following after Netflix began streaming them as well.