When you’re a fan of a TV show, you always have to consider the possibility of the series getting cancelled unexpectedly and, recently, this has certainly been the case if you’re a Netflix viewer. These last few months have seen the streamer drop the axe on a number of shows, even some that were trending high among subscribers. This streak of show cancellations has been pretty steady, and it has now claimed yet another drama that was already renewed.
Netflix has officially cancelled Queen Sono, the streamer’s first African original series, after previously renewing the series for a second season. The show centered on the life and times of a highly trained South African spy and received positive reviews upon its debut. Channel24 has learned that the decision was made due to the production challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement made to the site, Netflix expressed pride in having made Queen Sono and thanked the fans and the show’s creative team:
We are incredibly proud of the Diprente team for sharing their audacious vision and bringing it to life with Netflix. A huge thank you to our fans across the world for the love shared for our first African Original series. Netflix is also grateful to the amazing efforts shown by the cast and crew for their stellar efforts in creating this show for our members around the world. We’ll continue to work closely with South Africa’s creative industry to keep producing more compelling ‘Made-in-South-Africa’ stories.
The show’s director and creator, Kagiso Lediga, also released a statement in which he expressed gratitude for he and his team being able to write “a beautiful story” that “could not be executed in these current trying times.” Lead actor Pearl Thusi also referred to the experience as “incredible” and provided some optimistic sentiments:
I’m proud of the work we did, but everything happens for a reason. I am excited about what the future holds.
Netflix has pulled the plug on a number of shows for varying reasons, but COVID-19 has been a major contributor for a number of key cancellations as of late. Freshman shows I Am Not Okay with This and The Society had their renewals reversed due to the pandemic. The same is also true for veteran dramedy GLOW, which wasn’t able to produce its fourth and final season.
As with so many other Netflix series, it’s sad to see Queen Sono go, especially when you consider just how groundbreaking the show was. Because of its success, one can only hope that Netflix will be able to reteam with its South African collaborators sooner rather than later to deliver another quality piece of content.
If you’re still interested in seeing what Queen Sono is all about, you can stream the series on Netflix now.
