One of the rare TV-related events these days, and one that is much less enjoyable than bizarre local news interviews, is Netflix cancelling an original series. It's definitely happened in the past, though with far less frequency than other places responsible for great series, and it happened again today. Baz Lurhmann's musical drama The Get Down has been cancelled, as Netflix has pulled the records off the turntables before Season 2 could come together.
In the scheme of things, The Get Down's cancellation is very far from shocking, as the lush and gorgeous drama has arguably been the most likely show to get the ax from Netflix. But the issue wasn't exactly the content or critical reactions that serve as the driving force behind The Get Down only getting a freshman season. It likely happened because of financial reasons, since Season 1's dozen episodes reportedly cost upwards of $120 million to put together, easily making it one of the most expensive shows ever. Sure, Netflix has pockets deeper than half of all cable networks put together -- that's probably not accurate -- but lines have to be drawn somewhere.
And the general consensus seems to be that the end result wasn't worth the financial effort. It's a shame in many ways, because there's definitely nothing else on TV like The Get Down, which left none of its budget on the cutting room floor. The show recreated New York City in the 1970s, from the locations to the costumes to the music, and the cast did a pretty superb job of bringing this loopy and meandering story to life. But despite having one of the greatest soundtracks in any media, little noise has been made about The Get Down, either for its initial series premiere or when the second half of Season 1 debuted in April.
Creator Baz Luhrmann had previously stated that he would be less involved with Season 2 if it got ordered by Netflix, so it's possible that could have played a part in the decision as well. Luhrmann bid the show farewell with a well-worded Facebook post that offered a strange take on where the show could go from here.
As for the real future of the show, the spirit of The Get Down, and the story it has begun to tell... it has its own life. One that lives on today and will continue to be told somewhere, somehow, because of you, the fans and the supporters.
If you've already watched all of The Get Down and are looking for another show that Netflix cancelled, this Friday will host the Season 3 debut of Bloodline, which is capping off one of the streaming service's most stress-inducing storylines. Check out what we learned about that show's finale, and then head to our 2017 Netflix schedule and our summer TV schedule to make plans for your future binge-sessions.
