While there were lots of great new television shows that are going on to lead full lives with second-season renewals, we’d be remiss if we didn’t honor some of our fallen soldiers.
Netflix has a bad habit of axing great shows before they really get a chance to shine — even when they come out of the gate trending with critical praise.
Watch With Us highlights four of the best 2025 Netflix shows that were prematurely canceled but deserve another chance.
Our picks include the coming-of-age drama Boots and the black comedy No Good Deed.
Netflix Cancels Several Shows After Only 1 Season
‘Boots’
Based on the memoir The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White, Boots follows closeted gay teenager Cameron Cope (Miles Heizer), who, after facing bullying and isolation in high school, impulsively decides to join the Marines after his graduation. Following his best friend Ray (Liam Oh) into the Marines’ rigorous six-week boot camp training, Cope’s physical, mental and emotional limits are put to the test while he struggles to keep his true identity a secret.
Who knows if backlash from the White House had anything to do with Boots’ cancelation, but regardless, the untimely demise of the popular show doesn’t seem very well-deserved. It was hot on the Netflix top 10 and received positive reviews from both critics and fans, who praised the acting, writing, humor and thoughtful exploration of masculinity and queerness.
‘No Good Deed’
This black comedy starring Ray Romano and Lisa Kudrow follows three families who are all vying for the same house: a 1920s Spanish-style villa. When empty-nesters Lydia (Kudrow) and Paul (Romano) decide to sell their beautiful home in a desirable Los Angeles neighborhood, they find themselves at the center of a real estate feeding frenzy, as three different families are all convinced that buying the house will solve their problems. Meanwhile, the house harbors a secret between Lydia and Paul that threatens to become exposed.
No Good Deed received positive reviews from critics and viewers, yet the show was placed on an indefinite hiatus in July 2025. Most people found that the show was an entertaining and twist-filled dark comedy with a satisfying conclusion and great cast, which includes Abbi Jacobson, Denis Leary, Teyonah Parris and Luke Wilson. Maybe Netflix thought leaving the show on a good note meant they could chuck it for good, but we strongly disagree.
‘Billionaire’ Bunker’
In an extravagant underground bunker facility called Kimera Underground Park, two families who are among the world’s elite gather for safety while nuclear war rages on outside. However, the claustrophobic nature of the situation causes long-standing tensions between the families to rise to the surface, immediately creating conflict between them. But while the families fight, all is not as it seems in the aboveground or underground worlds.
Netflix quietly canceled the high-concept sci-fi drama after just one season and only three months after it debuted on the platform. The show boasted an ambitious premise that was ripe for further exploration, and viewers enjoyed the series for being a wild ride that mixes Spanish soap opera with B-movie science fiction.
‘The Waterfront’
This new Netflix drama came courtesy of Kevin Williamson, who is most famous for writing the first Scream movie and creating the popular teen drama Dawson’s Creek. The Waterfront follows the Buckley family, who run a powerful fishing company and restaurant business in North Carolina. However, they have massive debts that threaten to swallow them whole, leading them down a dark path of criminal activities to keep their empire afloat.
Netflix’s ‘The Waterfront’ Canceled: What Could Have Happened in Season 2?
Starring Holt McCallany, Melissa Benoist and Jake Weary, The Waterfront’s cancelation came as a surprise to many due to the show’s strong early performance and solid viewership. Indeed, it was considered a success, and critics praised the show for its grim and pulpy atmosphere and beautifully fleshed-out characters, some describing it as great escapist viewing for summer. Audiences had fun with The Waterfront, too. Netflix really gets it wrong sometimes.
