Topics: Netflix, Nostalgia, Film and TV, Rotten Tomatoes, YouTube
Netflix turned a show abandoned by YouTube into 'one of the best of the past 20 years', and fans are still loving it.
The streamer has a track record for consistently doing two, conflicting things; either saving shows at risk of cancellation and turning them into gold, or axing much-loved series after just one or two seasons and angering fans.
It's seen some major success with the former, reviving shows like Lucifer and Manifest and sculpting them into cult classics.
However, it's not all been plain sailing; Netflix's attempt to extend Arrested Development for two more seasons proved far less popular.
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One of the streamer's more recent victories has been its rescue of a former YouTube series which has gone on to become a 'masterpiece'.
A sequel to the hit 1984 hit The Karate Kid, the series is set 34 years after Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) managed to beat Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) in the 1984 All-Valley Karate Tournament.
We're talking about none other than Cobra Kai, which follows Lawrence as he restarts the renowned dojo of the same name for a new generation of karate kids.
The show debuted on YouTube Red back in 2018 and was renewed for a second season which dropped the following year on the rebranded YouTube Premium.
However, the social media site then confirmed it wouldn't be carrying on with the series, despite work already having begun on its third instalment.
Showrunner Jon Hurwitz previously told The Wrap how the Cobra Kai team were 'desperate to get it over to Netflix'.
He said: "We knew there were a bunch of different places that were interested, but from the beginning we always felt this was a Netflix show.
"Once it landed over there we were like, ‘Okay, now we’ll see,’ because we felt like we had something that people loved but not enough people had seen."
What came next was a roaring success; Netflix struck a rights deal for the show, adding the first two seasons to its catalogue in 2020 before extending the show's life for a further four seasons.
Its sixth and final season dropped in three parts between July 2024 and February 2025.
And fans over on Rotten Tomatoes were thoroughly impressed with the finale, as some hailed the entire series their 'ultimate feel-good show'.
Of Cobra Kai's final season, one fan said: "It is pure genius brilliance and a perfect ending, a nostalgic tribute to the films.
"It should’ve got 100% on Rotten Tomatoes anything less is a crime, that’s all I am saying."
A second hailed it as 'pure perfection', adding: "Season six is a masterpiece. Without a doubt the best season of the series."
A third named the 'incredible' finale their 'favorite' season, writing: "Genuinely the best TV show I have ever seen, so much fun."
All six seasons of Cobra Kai are available to stream now on Netflix.
