Low Numbers Strike Again: Netflix Cancels Two New Shows After Only One Season

Netflix has decided to cancel two of its newer series, Pulse and The Residence, both of which only made it through one season. The news comes from Deadline, who reported that viewership just wasn’t strong enough to justify keeping them on the platform.

The Residence was released on March 20 and starred Uzo Aduba, known from Orange is the New Black. She played a detective investigating a murder that happened during a White House state dinner.

The mystery show had a light tone despite the murder theme, and it got pretty good feedback. Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 85% critics score and a 78% audience score. That’s actually higher than what Squid Game received.

But the series had one big problem: it was expensive to make. Deadline says it might have been the most costly White House set ever built for TV, which made a second season unlikely.

On top of that, it was released just one week after another Netflix show, Adolescence, took off in a big way. That series grabbed a huge audience fast and pulled attention away from The Residence.

Even with the good reviews, it couldn’t keep up. One review said, “The Residence situates itself in the White House for a lighthearted murder mystery that won’t tax the brain, but Uzo Aduba’s eccentric sleuth brings a welcome level of sophistication to proceedings.” Metacritic gave the show a score of 66 out of 100, which falls into the “generally favorable” category.

Pulse, which premiered on April 3, didn’t do as well. The show was set in a Miami hospital during a hurricane and focused on a group of surgical residents dealing with the fallout from a sexual harassment case. The cast included Willa Fitzgerald from Reacher and Jessie T. Usher from The Boys.

This one struggled more with both critics and viewers. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a low 48% score, and Metacritic gave it the same number. Critics weren’t impressed.

One review from Variety said, “Despite the sound acting, the poorly formatted narrative, an appalling depiction of sexual harassment and a few insufferable characters don’t exactly make for a pleasurable watch.” Another review said the show’s storyline about the #MeToo movement was “underdeveloped.”

In terms of how many people watched, Pulse had about 20 million views in its first four weeks. That’s not terrible, but compared to Adolescence, which hit 24 million in just two weeks, or Squid Game season 3 with 60 million in three days, it fell behind.

Netflix has always been quick to cancel shows that don’t take off quickly, and these two just didn’t get the numbers or attention they needed. Even with well-known actors and timely themes, neither series made a big enough impact to earn a second season.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!