Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Netflix, Film and TV, Twitter, Viral
Emily Brown
Netflix users are furious after viewing figures released by the streaming service showed how close a now-cancelled show came to being saved.
Netflix has promised new seasons of a range of hit shows, including Jenna Ortega's Wednesday, the highly-rated Blue Eye Samurai and, of course, Stranger Things.
Not all shows have been so lucky, though, with the streamer choosing to cancel some titles even if fans have begged for more.
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One of these unfortunate shows is the fantasy series Shadow and Bone, which was canceled last month after two seasons.
The news was met with criticism from fans of the show, with Leigh Bardugo, the author of the Shadow and Bone books, saying she was 'deeply disappointed' by the news.
Bardugo's disappointment has likely only grown after Netflix released a close look at its stats on 12 December, showing exactly how popular Shadow and Bone really was.
The release revealed that the fantasy show had managed to make it into the streamer's top 30 most-watched shows, joining the likes of The Night Agent, Ginny and Georgia, and Queen Charlotte as the most popular out of more than 18,000 titles.
Shadow and Bone, which stars Jessie Mei Li, Ben Barnes, Archie Renaux and
Freddy Carter, landed at number 26 on the list as it managed to achieve almost 193 million views on Netflix, but unfortunately it wasn't enough to save it from being canceled.
It must have been close, though, because Shadow and Bone is the most popular show on the list to have received the axe.
Viewers have taken to X to express their anger over the revelation, with one fan commenting: "With the recent reveal of Shadow and Bone being #26 and also top 10 most searched show the fact it was cancelled is absolutely baffling... "
Another wrote: "Shadow and Bone S2 was their 26th most-watched show in the first half of 2023 and they cancelled it anyway... EVIL."
The sudden cancelation of Shadow and Bone means viewers have been left without a conclusion to the series, making the move even more frustrating for fans.
When the news was initially announced, Deadline reported that factors contributing to the decision to cancel the show included series’ performance versus cost, among other things.
Bardugo said after the cancellation that while she was 'deeply disappointed', she also had 'gratitude'.
“Most authors never get to see their work adapted. Many who do end up regretting the experience. I’m one of the very few who can look at an adaptation with pride and tremendous joy," she said.
While fans might not get to see the conclusion of Shadow and Bone, hopefully some of Netflix's other shows - the ones that haven't been canceled - will be able to catch their attention instead.