There was unhealthy information this week as Netflix cancelled Lockwood & Co — may Shadow and Bone be subsequent

We have been upset however not shocked once we realized (by way of Selection) of the cancellation of Lockwood & Co. Backside line it was a good present, followers preferred it however there weren’t sufficient. In these extra constrained and aggressive instances Netflix is sticking to the unlucky custom of killing off well-liked however costly to provide reveals with low viewers.

We adopted the agonisingly sluggish announcement of The Sandman‘s renewal and at instances that appeared removed from sure. Whereas it appears the business is focussed on quick / mid-term viewers over constructing manufacturers (and there are efforts corresponding to with The Witcher), cheaper to make reveals appear extra prone to be renewed. With out figuring out precise prices, we count on licence prices / costume / set / CGI / forged to all be components, and it’s revealing ABC has already renewed new collection Not Useless But (on Disney+ within the UK) even with the writers’ strike in Hollywood (extra on this right here) and massive costume drama Bridgerton (and spin-offs) seems set to proceed for years to come back. There are additionally loads of new reveals throughout all genres, however Netflix does appear to wrestle to hold its hat (so to talk) on one of these YA present and provides it lengthy sufficient to shine.

The listing of cancellations grows each longer, and we start to surprise when and the place the subsequent Stranger Issues or Wednesday will emerge from.

So what about Shadow and Bone?

It appears to us Netflix put much more advertising and marketing muscle behind Shadow and Bone than the now cancelled Lockwood & Co. We do surprise if the showrunner had his considerations; whereas contemplating a Six of Crows spin-off, season 2 of Shadow and Bone additionally crammed within the content material of two novels. It made for an entire story, even when it did really feel like rather a lot was occurring in few episodes. Coincidentally, Lockwood & Co additionally lined two (of 5) novels in its look.

We now consider the renewal of Shadow and Bone is much less doubtless than we did. It appears many followers do in addition to reviewers — we’ve learn of followers streaming the present continuous a number of instances to get the numbers up with out watching. We might be shocked if Netflix have been that simple to idiot.

We’re nonetheless hoping, however suspect that is all a part of a market shift away from the numbers of intriguing cult reveals we’ve change into used to. That’s even with out contemplating the Hollywood writers’ strike could nicely result in an increase within the variety of unscripted actuality reveals. Whereas these reveals have a market, we’d relatively it wasn’t on the expense of the reveals with a supernatural leaning.

Which brings us to Not Useless But

And earlier than anybody else mentions it, sure Not Useless But does have the next plot:

Nell Serrano (Gina Rodriguez), a broke and newly single self-described catastrophe, works to restart the life and profession she left behind 10 years in the past; when she lands the one job she will discover — writing obituaries, she begins getting life recommendation from an unlikely supply.

What’s doesn’t say is this recommendation comes from the ghosts of the just lately deceased. As with Ghosts (each UK and US variations) there’s all the time a spot for the quirky and other-worldly someplace within the schedule!