Written by Swikblog Streaming Desk
Updated: 30 November 2025
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Another week, another round of Netflix cancellations. This time the axe has reportedly fallen on two very different projects: the animated revival of classic sitcom Good Times and the NBA docuseries Starting 5, both scrapped before they had the chance to become long-running fixtures on the platform.
Together they tell a familiar story about Netflix’s current priorities: big names and bold ideas are welcome, but only for as long as they deliver strong, sustained viewing numbers.
‘Good Times’ Revival Ends After One Controversial Season
The most eye-catching decision is the reported cancellation of the animated reboot of Good Times, a modern, adult-oriented spin on the groundbreaking 1970s sitcom. The new series tried to mix sharp social commentary with heightened, often surreal humour, re-imagining the Evans family for the streaming era.
From the moment it dropped, the show became a lightning rod. Long-time fans of the original questioned whether the reboot honoured the spirit of the Norman Lear classic, while critics argued that its more extreme plotlines sometimes slipped into caricature rather than critique. According to multiple reports, Netflix has now decided not to move ahead with a second season, quietly shelving the revival after just one batch of episodes.
The animated Good Times isn’t alone. It forms part of a wider clear-out in Netflix’s adult animation slate, with other projects such as Zack Snyder’s mythological epic Twilight of the Gods and the adaptation of the card-game Exploding Kittens also reportedly ending after a single season.
‘Starting 5’ Benched After Two Seasons
If Good Times tapped into TV nostalgia, Starting 5 was aimed at the sports-doc boom. The series followed a rotating cast of star NBA players across the regular season, offering the kind of locker-room access and off-court detail that has turned shows like Drive to Survive into global hits.
Yet despite its access and high-profile producers, Starting 5 never quite broke into the cultural mainstream. Industry reports suggest that viewing figures lagged well behind comparable sports docuseries, and that Netflix has opted not to commission a third season, effectively ending the project after two years on air.
For basketball fans, the decision stings. The series provided rare long-form storytelling around players more used to being reduced to highlights packages and trade rumours. Social media reaction has already turned to frustration at seeing another niche but well-liked sports title cut short.
A Pattern in Netflix’s Playbook
None of this will surprise veteran Netflix watchers. Studies of the streamer’s output have long suggested that many series now live and die within a two-to-three-season window, with executives willing to cancel even well-reviewed shows once the cost-to-audience equation stops looking favourable.
Animation can be particularly vulnerable: it is expensive, time-consuming to produce and, if it fails to make a global splash almost immediately, easy to trim from the slate. Similarly, sports documentaries face intense competition; for every breakout hit, there are several series that build passionate but relatively small audiences.
What These Cancellations Say About Netflix Now
Taken together, the fates of Good Times and Starting 5 suggest a platform doubling down on projects that either generate huge viewing hours quickly or plug cleanly into long-term franchise plans. Nostalgic revivals and prestige sports docs may generate headlines, but they also come with higher expectations – and less patience when those expectations aren’t met.
Netflix is famously data-driven. Completion rates, episode-by-episode drop-off and regional audience patterns matter as much as critical reaction. A polarising animated revival or a solid-but-not-spectacular sports series can look like easy targets when the next big K-drama, reality format or thriller is waiting in the wings. Coverage from specialist outlets such as What’s on Netflix has repeatedly shown how quickly even buzzy titles can be moved to the chopping block.
For Viewers, the Same Old Question: Is It Safe to Get Attached?
For audiences, the emotional calculation is becoming more brutal. Viewers who invested in the new Good Times – whether out of curiosity, nostalgia or a desire to see a Black sitcom legacy continued – now see another experiment cut off mid-stride. NBA fans who followed Starting 5 from its first tip-off are left with a two-season snapshot that was clearly designed to run longer.
The cancellations also reignite a larger debate about the streaming era: if shows can vanish after one or two seasons, how easy is it to convince viewers to take a risk on anything that isn’t already a headline franchise? For all the talk of innovation, Netflix’s current strategy can make the platform feel oddly transient.
What Happens Next
There is, as yet, no indication that either project will be revived elsewhere. Rights, budgets and audience data all complicate the odds of a rescue mission. For now, fans hoping for more will have to make do with the seasons already available – and perhaps brace for further surprises as Netflix continues to recalibrate its line-up.
One thing is clear: in 2025, even a famous title or star-studded sports docuseries is no guarantee of longevity. On Netflix, the clock starts ticking the moment the first episode drops – and lately, it feels as if that clock is running faster than ever.
This sudden wave of cancellations lands just as renewed attention returns to Netflix’s biggest franchises, including Stranger Things and the viral return of Holly Wheeler and Mr Whitsit, where fans are once again dissecting characters, theories and unfinished storylines — a reminder that when Netflix gets it right, viewers are still deeply invested.
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