Netflix explains why it canceled ‘Everything Sucks’

Netflix

• Netflix canceled “Everything Sucks” because a lot of
  people didn’t finish the first episode, and the series
  generally.
• The first episode of the coming-of-age comedy set in
  the 90s is only 23 minutes long.
• This gives us an idea of how Netflix determines what
  shows get cut. 
• At TCA in July, Netflix’s VP of original content said
  that she recognized the show’s loyal fan base, but didn’t see
  any room for growing that audience with a second
  season. 

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Netflix decided to cancel “Everything Sucks” because while people
started watching it, many of them didn’t finish the first
episode. Netflix also recognized the loyal audience the show had,
but didn’t feel like it would grow along with a second
season. 

In April, Netflix canceled the 90s-set, coming-of-age comedy less
than two months after its debut. Many people were disappointed
that the show has been cut, including the Beau
Willimon, the creator of Netflix’s “House of Cards” and
comedian Lauren
Lapkus, who appeared in the early seasons of “Orange Is the
New Black.”

“Everything Sucks” tells the story of Kate Messner, a high school
sophomore who’s coming to terms with her sexuality (she is a
lesbian). Her journey showcases how hard it is to be an LGBTQ+
teen, especially two decades ago. 

Although the show’s first episode is only 23 minutes long, people
turned it off in favor of something else, which was the main
reason why Netflix canceled it (and so quickly), according to

“The Netflix Binge Factory,” a feature published by Vulture
in June. Others who completed the first episode didn’t stick
around much longer.

Deadline reported that at Netflix’s TCA (Television Critics
Association) presentation in July, original content VP Cindy
Holland said that while she was “really passionate” about
“Everything Sucks” herself, and takes cancellations personally,
the show had to be cut because the audience didn’t grow. 

Holland
said that “because we were seeing a much low completion rate
of the whole season, we realized that it is very unlikely that we
would be able to grow the audience, move a whole new audience
through the show and have a large enough audience to justify a
season two.”

Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer,
told Vulture in June that Netflix doesn’t determine
how successful a show is by how quickly people watch it: It’s
whether people come back for more, and whether or not the show is
getting Netflix new subscribers. 

“The completion of a single episode is a more important trigger,”
Sarandos said. “We wouldn’t be looking at, ‘Are people plowing
through it in the first weekend?,’ because the number of people
who do that is pretty slim.”

According to a “talent agency insider” cited by Vulture,
“Everything Sucks” cost $1.5 million per episode, and less than
$15 million in total for the first season. The show’s low budget
was one of the main reasons its fans were surprised it got
canceled. 

What’s not surprising was that Netflix subscribers were a bit
turned off by the first episode. It started off on a lazy note,
relying on 90s references and “Freaks and Geeks.” But by the end
of the season, the show became something truly special, making
many (including me)
excited for a second season, which had the potential to be
great.