Shadow and Boneon Netflix ended its run with an 83% onRotten Tomatoesand a lot of positive attention, and yet it entered the increasingly large group of TV shows, emblematic of a frustrating problem with Hollywood and streaming. The series,based on Leigh Bardugo’s 2012 novel, premiered in 2021.
Shadow and Bonetakes place in a fantasy setting known as the “Grishaverse” and follows Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), an orphan and cartographer who discovers she is a “Grisha”, a person with magical abilities. It’s a solid fantasy series that we probablywon’t get a satisfying ending anytime soon.
Shadow And Bone Was A Promising Fantasy Show Canceled Too Soon
Shadow and Bonewas a very promising series, and yet, it was canceled right as it was really ramping up. The production of the series is top-notch, with the costumes, sets, and intense world-building all detailed and considered. It’s a show unafraid to launch the audience into its completely original world.
The series also features an impressive cast of mostly newcomers. Ben Barnes is the only really notable name, but he provides a solid, experienced performance for the younger actors to grow around. The rest of the cast, including Li, show what can happen when you give a chance to fresh talent.
All of this, along with the engaging, fantastical story that takes its time, suggests thatShadow and Bonecould have been a major series for the streamer. Instead,Shadow and Bonewas canceled in November 2023, with the now-standard explanation that the series did not have enough viewers and cost too much money.
Shadow And Bone’s Cancellation Exposed A Harsh Truth About Fantasy Shows
This is just another example of how Netflix and other streamers refuse to give many TV shows a chance, particularly those within the fantasy and science fiction genres. Unless a series is based on massive, popular IP or has a huge star built in, you can expect any fantasy series that isn’t a cultural phenomenon to be cut short.
In fact,Shadow and Boneis one of the lucky ones, getting two seasons, while plenty of others, likeThe Dark Crystal: Age of Resistanceand1899, only got one season. The reason is almost always “it costs too much”. I’ve had enough of that explanation, particularly when you hearNetflix spent over $300 million onThe Electric State.
Either money means something at these streamers, or it doesn’t. From what I can tell, streamers like Netflix treat shows likeShadow and Bonelike dollars at a casino, content to spend them on pulls at the slot, praying one hits a jackpot, when they could be putting it in a bank to slowly, but surely, appreciate.
