KAOS starring Jeff Goldblum as the Ancient Greek god Zeus premiered at Netflix on August 29. That was just a measly six weeks ago. That’s not enough time for any show, even one with positive reviews from both critics and viewers, to find an audience. Not when every episode was dropped at once and there’s no chance to build momentum via word of mouth. And yet none of that stopped the streamer from already pulling the plug on the dark comedy. Netflix has cancelled KAOS after a single season and no time to build the case for a second. After yet another premature end to a series, it’s getting harder than ever to give any of the site’s new shows a chance.
After a late summer debut, KAOS didn’t even survive until Halloween. Netflix has cancelled the show (news we first heard at The Hollywood Reporter) after it launched to so-so viewership. According to the streaming site’s internal numbers, the show garnered 14.9 million views. Not a disaster by any means, but not a big number either. That was enough to get the series a quick pull, even though it starred a big-time Hollywood celebrity.
Did KAOS deserve its fate? I have no idea, because I didn’t even get a chance to watch it before this news broke. I was very much looking forward to seeing it, too. Multiple friends have raved about it and said I would love it. Now? What’s the point. Even if, as they predicted, I will really enjoy it, watching will feel pointless.
None of this is a surprise, unfortunately. This is just what Netflix does. It cancels even its best shows prematurely, which in turn makes it harder for anyone to watch anything else it releases. Why bother giving a show a chance when you fear/know even greatness won’t save it from an early end? At this point its best to wait to see if a series will get time to grow and build something. Of course, a show won’t unless we tune in en masse immediately…which we don’t want to do because we don’t trust Netflix.
What a cycle! What a business model! But really, what a disappointment.