The Issue with Netflix Cancellations
Hands up if you have ever felt personally victimised by a Netflix cancellation?
TV show cancellations have always existed, yet the rise in quick fire axings of Netflix originals still feel like a new phenomenon. Netflix originals have only existed for seven years, but in this time have become some of the most watched and talked about shows out there, particularly since 2016. Yet, in the last year the service has been criticised for the kinds of shows that seem to disappear quicker than any other: primarily shows written by women, for women. I’m going to focus on Tuca and Bertie, because it’s the cancellation that frustrated me the most, but this is only one of the many female series that Netflix has decided to cancel in the last couple of years. In 2019 alone, Netflix cancelled 8 series from female creators.
As bad as it sounds, I only began to notice the disparity when it was announced that Tuca and Bertie wouldn’t be renewed for a second season. At university, it was my comfort show. I watched it repeatedly, and I recommended it to anyone who would listen. Tuca and Bertie is an adult cartoon about the friendship between two thirty year old bird-women: Tuca, a carefree tucan voiced by Tiffany Hadish, and Bertie, an anxious and daydreaming songbird with a passion for pastries, voiced by Ali Wong. For me, the show provided something that very few other Netflix originals offered: it was relatable. It was so clearly written by women, and the fact it was a cartoon meant I could enjoy it for what it was, rather than subconsciously compare myself to any beautiful woman who happened to play the lead. It was refreshing to see an adult cartoon on Netflix that wasn’t almost completely dominated by men (I’m looking at you, Rick and Morty bros) and even better to see a cast that wasn’t completely dominated by white people.
Each episode is pretty much entirely centered on the titular female friendship, and though men were included they very rarely took center stage. I loved the age of the characters even more. To see a focus on two older female characters is something we undeniably do not have enough of, and watching the show made me realise how much I valued consuming media that is genuinely inoffensive to women: something a lot rarer than you’d think. I wasn’t alone in my adoration of the show.
When it was cancelled, so many people took to Twitter to criticise Netflix’s choice, particularly as it has only received rave reviews. It was constantly compared to Bojack Horseman, due to the similar crew and animation style, with people reminding the streaming service of the poorer quality of BH’s season one. Though people flocked to the defence of the humanoid horse, reminding critics that Bojack came during the early years of Netflix’s development when a show was allowed two seasons to find an audience, it’s still arguable that Tuca and Bertie never received the same levels of marketing as it’s male counterpart.
Around this time, the show’s creator, Lisa Hanawalt, took to Twitter to explain that the outpouring of love on social media and the ever growing number of people watching the show didn’t make a difference to Netflix’s algorithm. This perhaps suggests, then, that the algorithm is flawed. Though I’m not suggesting that Netflix is targeting female creators, they are definitely not doing enough to show how they are fighting for underrepresented creators and shows - particularly ones with high ratings. Though Tuca and Bertie has recently been saved, with the second season being released with Adult Swim in 2021, Netflix clearly have some way to go before they can suggest their cancellations are unbiased.
Tuca and Bertie is by no means the only female-headed show to be cancelled by the streaming service this year. It is amongst other beloved series, including: I Am Not Okay With This, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Marianne and GLOW. Let’s not also forget Netflix’s cancellation of The OA that incited outrage, a flash mob and a hunger strike. This isn’t merely a case of bad shows reaching their inevitable end. This is the removal of much-loved shows, all of which starring complex female characters, that were all popular with critics and viewers alike. I understand that this year, in all its craziness, is responsible for a lot of these cutbacks. But, I also feel that, if Netflix refuses to reveal viewing statistics and is constantly blaming things on an algorithm without explaining it, then they at least need to show it’s viewers how they are fighting to keep these shows, or at least explain why they are being cancelled. I just hope that in a post-Covid world, Netflix fills the void with more female voices and representation (or maybe even changes the fate of some of these shows).
Written by Kate Birch
I’m a literature undergraduate studying in York, and preparing for my move to London to start my MA. I love poetry and book reviews, and currently run an Instagram account where I post one of these (@slowrreads).