Shadow and Bone fans rage as Netflix figures reveal cancelled show was close to being saved

Fans of the cancelled series Shadow and Bone have reacted furiously to the show’s viewing figures after they were released by Netflix.

On Tuesday (12 December), the streaming service released an in-depth look at its stats for the first time following criticism over its lack of transparency when it comes to ratings.

The report, which compiled almost 20,000 titles released from January to June 2023, listed spy thriller The Night Agent as its most-watched show, with 812m hours registered. Following behind were Ginny & Georgia season two, Korean drama The Glory, 2022 hit Wednesday and Bridgerton spin-off Queen Charlotte.

But it was the inclusion of Shadow and Bone in the top 30 that caused some outrage due to the fact the fantasy adaptation was cancelled by the streamer last month. The axe was swung a week after the conclusion of the Hollywood actors’ strike, reportedly in a bid to cut costs.

The series, adapted from Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse novels, was culled alongside Agent Elvis, Captain Fall, Glamorous and Farzar, despite racking up 193 million views.

These ratings were enough to put Shadow and Bone in the top 30 out of more than 18,000 titles, which makes it the most successful show on the list to be cancelled. In fact, every series above it has avoided the axe, meaning the service appeared to draw the line with Shadow and Bone.

This detail has prompted outcry from fans of the axed show, with many sharing angry posts on X/Twitter and wondering why Netflix cancelled the series.

“Shadow and Bone season 2 being 26 on list and Netflix still cancelled,” one fan wrote, with another adding: “Let’s be real. Shadow and Bone may not have reached Wednesday numbers, but to say that it had low viewership or that it is a niche’ show is just ridiculous. There is clearly enough demand for Netflix to make SOMETHING work, even if it is with a lower budget.”

Another fan stated: “Surprised Shadow and Bone was cancelled,” with one upset Netflix user chiming in: “Looky here. Shadow and Bone S2. Released mid March so less than half of the stats period and still made it to #26. So why not make S3 and the spinoff?”

Shadow and Bone, which stars Ben Barnes, Jessie Mei Li and Archie Renaux, follows in the footsteps of Netflix shows including The OA and Altered Carbon in being cancelled without a conclusion.

Earlier this week, Netflix gave the rare season two green light to a series considered one of its best hidden gems of the year.