Netflix stepped in and saved Designated Survivor when ABC canceled it, but it seems it was only for one season ultimately.
On Wednesday, Netflix announced two cancellations: freshman animated series Tuca and Bertie and former ABC series Designated Survivor.
“We are proud to have offered fans a third season of Designated Survivor, and will continue to carry all three seasons for years to come,” Netflix said in a statement. “We’re especially thankful to star and executive producer Kiefer Sutherland, who brought passion, dedication and an unforgettable performance as President Kirkman. We’re also grateful to showrunner/executive producer Neal Bear for his guiding vision and steady hand, creator/executive producer David Guggenheim and EPs Mark Gordon, Suzan Bymel, Simon Kinberg, Aditya Sood and Peter Noah along with the cast and crew who crafted a compelling and satisfying final season.”
“Lisa Hanawalt created a relatable yet whimsical world in Tuca and Bertie,” Netflix said in a statement. “We’re grateful to Lisa, and her fellow executive producers Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Noel Bright, Steven A. Cohen, and EPs/stars Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong, along with all of the writers and animators for sharing the funny and dynamic female bird duo of Tuca and Bertie with the world. While Tuca and Bertie won’t have a second season, we’re proud to feature this story on Netflix for years to come.”
A round of cancellations isn’t surprising at this time. Netflix missed its subscriber number projections for the most recent quarter and saw its stock go into freefall for a few days. Another sticking point for investors has been how much the company spends on original programming. Netflix needs to reallocate resources to series with larger returns.
Unfortunately, this is an event that will probably become a bit more common for Netflix over the next few years.
