So soon after Netflix CEO Reed Hastings publicly stated that Netflix needs a higher cancellation rate for its original content, another big show bites the dust. The consciousness-swapping sci-fi drama Sense8 has been canceled, which means Season 3 isn't happening on the platform. Here's what's being reported following the decision.
You'd almost think Netflix didn't want to cancel Sense8 from the statements that were made by Vice President of original content Cindy Holland, who heralded the Wachowski siblings' canceled series with words like "bold," and "unforgettable," and "kick ass." Holland also mentioned that no other show has ever been as diverse and equally represented in terms of the international cast and crew, and that would certainly appear to be true, given the cast and global approach.
It appears the decision, while new, was already being discussed behind the scenes. One of the stars on the series, Brian J. Smith, attempted to get the hashtag #renewsense8 trending two days ago. It could have just been enthusiasm to follow the radio silence following the recent Season 2 release, but this timing hits harder.
This makes Sense8 the second big original series from Netflix to be canceled this year, and the seventh Netflix series of all time to get its walking papers. We're talking the comedies and dramas here, not kids shows or returning series or docu-series, etc. And there are still more than enough pending to have us believing more plugs may get pulled soon.
Sense8 told the tale of eight strangers that were interconnected, despite living in various parts of the globe. They could share each other's experiences, as well as take control of each other's bodies, though there's someone out there who wants to use it all for nefarious means. Season 2 of the series was ushered in with a two-hour Christmas special on December 23rd, and the core ten episodes were added May 5th. In 23 episodes, Sense8 managed to travel to 16 different cities and 13 different countries. While we still don't know the exact reasoning behind the cancellation, but we can speculate that viewership and general interest didn't justify the massive cast and location shooting the series required.
In fact, it was reported at one point that Sense8's budget per episode was around $9 million dollars. That's not too surprising for the Wachowskis' projects, but quite a bit of money to spend on a show that never really grabbed the attention of huge audiences like some of Netflix's less nuanced programming. While it may have inevitably led to its cancellation, there's no denying the money was well spent when you look at the beauty of some of the most glorious shots. Perhaps the news of cancellation will spark a cult interest, and folks will surge to the show and give weight to a potential renewal down the road? It would be unprecedented, but Netflix has kind of become known for moves like that.
Sad day for Sense8 fans, but all hope is not lost, as all episodes will always be available to stream on Netflix. And for every show that is canceled, it's like three more take its place, so visit our 2017 Netflix schedule and our summer premiere guide and find something else you can grow of fond of as you did this show. If Sense8 has you all shook up and wondering if any of your other favorite shows could be getting the ax, we have the latest on our renewal guide so that you can keep in the loop.
