In 2023, Netflix, Prime Video, and other platforms pulled the plug on six series that are still well worth your time. Let’s revisit a few shows whose fate was sealed this year, yet shouldn’t be relegated to the depths of digital archives.
Luck isn’t doled out evenly—not for those who hit the jackpot in the Christmas lottery or those who didn’t win a penny, nor for fans who celebrated their favorite series thriving or mourned their cancellation. This year saw a notable number of shows axed (and not just by the notorious Netflix), partly due to the writers and actors’ strike that stalled the industry for months. This prompted networks and platforms to cut ties with some productions struggling to secure solid viewership. However, not all that was canceled lacked merit or was disposable. Here, we’ve compiled a few noteworthy series from 2023 that, despite not continuing, you should check out.
Reboot
This was one of the year’s first cancellations, ending the new comedy from none other than Modern Family creator Steven Levitan. Although Reboot premiered in September the previous year, it was in January 2023 that Hulu decided to ax it after just a season of eight episodes. Available on Disney+, Reboot is a meta-take on a writer and actors from a successful early 2000s sitcom reuniting to revive the show on a streaming platform. Like many sitcoms, it wasn’t stellar from the get-go but showed potential to grow and solidify over time, a chance it never got. It’s particularly regrettable for missing out on more of Rachel Bloom.
1899
Following the success of Dark, the German series of time paradoxes and family secrets, its creators returned on Netflix with another ambitious, internationally-minded mystery series with an even bigger budget. This time, Baran Bo Odar and Jantje Friese invited us to cross the Atlantic on a vintage ship carrying passengers of various nationalities and social classes to the United States. However, they receive a distress signal from another supposedly lost ship, and from there, a nightmare unfolds for everyone. 1899 spun a well-crafted mystery and sci-fi tale with strong characters. Its surprising finale could serve as an end but also screamed for a second season to explore a new dimension of the story. A pity it was canceled, but don’t miss one of the year’s best series.
The Great
In May, the third season of The Great premiered, and little did we know it would be the last, with Hulu deciding its fate in the summer. It wrapped up a wickedly funny comedy based on real historical figures, with Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult as Empress Catherine and Emperor Peter of Russia, then took historical accuracy and turned it on its head. Irreverent and at times touching, it wasn’t just anachronistic humor but played with romance and surprising plot twists, always anchored by sublime performances. It’s one of those hidden gems that make you wonder why you didn’t start watching sooner.
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies
Annabel Oakes (Atypical, Minx) was tasked with developing this series set in the Grease universe, telling the story of Rydell High’s Pink Ladies battling the patriarchy. Despite backing from a beloved IP, it made little impact in 2023. The series was somewhat uneven, with an interesting concept but episodes that dragged and romantic plots that lost our interest, though the protagonists gained charm and strength as the series progressed. It’s not a must-watch, but it’s far from the worst when it comes to remakes, reboots, and other ways of cashing in on past successes.
The Peripheral
With Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan as executive producers of the adaptation of William Gibson‘s novel, Amazon Prime Video had one of the year’s most interesting and promising sci-fi offerings. It wasn’t as intense and cerebral as the pair’s Westworld on HBO, but it offered a compellingly crafted concept (a too-real virtual reality where the protagonists get entangled in a dangerous plot), executed with stunning visuals. It might have lacked a bit of heft and intrigue across the episodes, but it remained a quite deceptive proposition.
Superman & Lois
2023 was a tumultuous year for Warner Bros., especially with the decision to overhaul virtually all DC Comics-related media. While Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom might stand as the last film of a cinematic universe that always aspired to rival Marvel’s and never quite did, on TV, the so-called Arrowverse, which had been successful for years, was also ended. Alongside The Flash, Superman & Lois—not officially part of the Arrowverse but on the same network, The CW—was also concluded. It offered a more than decent small-screen portrayal of Superman. However, Warner never really liked having a Superman on every screen, so the series was canceled, set to end with its fourth season.