A Beloved Sitcom's Untimely End

Netflix has long been known for its unconventional approach to TV, and though the platform has developed some of the best new TV of the streaming era, it’s also canceled some of its best shows. Unlike traditional networks, which announce renewals and cancellations during network upfronts or press cycles, Netflix often lets series simply fade away, if they don’t deliver to an impossibly high standard.

Instead, many Netflix shows are canceled after just a season, sometimes without a formal announcement, leaving viewers unsure whether a story is finished or merely on pause. This practice has frustrated audiences, particularly when critically praised or fan-favorite series disappear without closure. Netflix’s data-driven model prioritizes subscriber growth and retention, meaning a show’s cultural impact or critical acclaim doesn’t always translate into long-term survival.

This means that even series with strong reviews can be cut short if they don’t meet internal performance benchmarks quickly enough, regardless of viewer reception. While the approach has been able to swiftly isolate some shows that aren’t performing well, the approach feels especially ironic when looking back at Netflix’s early era of original programming, which was full of creative risks and exciting, fresh ideas.

What Is Santa Clarita Diet About?

Drew Barrymore eating raw meat in a suburban kitchen

Santa Clarita Diet, one of the funniest shows of the 2010s, stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, married real estate agents living a seemingly normal suburban life in California. That normalcy, however, quickly shatters when Sheila undergoes a mysterious transformation that leaves her craving human flesh. The show avoids leaning fully into zombie horror territory, instead focusing on the family aspects of the shift.

Created by Victor Fresco, the show balances gore with warmth, using its undead hook to explore marriage, parenthood, and moral compromise. Santa Clarita Diet’s fast-paced episodes, sharp dialogue, and committed performances from Olyphant and Barrymore specifically earned praise from viewers and critics alike. Over three seasons, the show steadily expanded its lore while maintaining its comedic core, making its cancelation shocking.

Why Netflix Canceled Santa Clarita Diet

Netflix’s cancelation of Santa Clarita Diet was shocking for those who watched the show. After three seasons, the streaming platform chose to cancel the series without much explanation in April 2019. Fresco later explained that the decision was largely tied to cost versus audience growth.

According to Fresco, Netflix favored launching new series over continuing established ones that no longer showed substantial growth. Despite strong reviews and an active fanbase, Santa Clarita Diet wasn’t meeting the platform’s internal metrics to continue on. With the show having ended on a cliffhanger, viewers struggled to accept the finality.

Santa Clarita Diet’s Cancellation Continued Netflix’s Worst Problem

Sheila (Drew Barrymore) with a broken arm and Joel (Timothy Olyphant) covered in dirt in Santa Clarita Diet — Sheila with a broken arm and Joel covered in dirt in Santa Clarita Diet

Santa Clarita Diet’s untimely end became emblematic of Netflix’s core problem, according to most viewers: canceling well-reviewed shows before they have a chance to fully develop. While the series held strong critical scores and had built momentum through word of mouth, Netflix chose to pull the plug. This pattern has made audiences hesitant to invest in new Netflix originals, fearing unresolved storylines and premature endings.

While Santa Clarita Diet was one of the funniest sitcoms to come out of the decade, it will always be tinged with the knowledge that the creative risk didn’t outweigh the cost for Netflix. Six years later, Netflix’s cancellation of Santa Clarita Diet is still cited as a prime example of how the platform undermines audience trust, even when a show is genuinely funny, original, and widely loved.