Lockwood & Co is the latest victim of the Netflix guillotine after the show's first season dropped earlier this year.
The adaptation of Jonathan Stroud's YA book series chartered the fight against supernatural ghouls in an eight-episode run on the streaming platform.
Despite debuting at Netflix's number-one TV spot (which is typically a stellar indication of success) and amassing 40 million hours of viewership, Lockwood & Co didn't clear the increasingly high bar to get the green light for another run.
Production company Complete Fiction — founded by Joe Cornish, Edgar Wright and Rachael Prior — released a statement about the series' cancellation, in which they described the "honour and privilege" of being trusted by Stroud to adapt his books.
"Making this show was one of the most rewarding experiences of our careers and we will forever treasure it," the statement reads in part.
It concluded with a shout-out to the avid legion of fans, aka Lock Nation, saying: "You really have been the greatest. We cannot thank you enough for how much you have embraced, celebrated and loved the show.
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"This might be the end of the line for the TV show, but the books live on, as do the friendships made. We encourage you to embrace both."
Stroud also responded to the cancellation news, sharing with fans his sadness at being denied another opportunity to spend time with Lucy, Lockwood and George on screen.
He went on to thank the talented cast and crew behind the first season, concluding: "I also want to thank the fans who have supported the show so superbly over these past few months. It's been a special delight to see the Lockwood family grow.
"Through your art, edits, stories and discussions, you have forever expanded Lockwood's world. And I want you to know that Portland Row will always be open for business. There's a light burning in the living room, cakes on the table, new cases yet to solve... Please drop by any time. It's your home too, after all."
Speaking of those fans, they haven't taken the news well. Thousands have already signed a petition urging Netflix bosses to save the show from the catalogue oblivion, as fans rally under the hashtag #SaveLockwoodandCo.
Why was Lockwood & Co cancelled?
The conversation for a second season of Lockwood & Co was certainly on the table, as series creator Joe Cornish noted that season one covered the first two books in Stroud's five-book series, saying: "So there's definitely a couple more seasons in the books."
Cornish said that the story beyond season one would certainly satisfy viewers, telling Empire: "The story in the books is very well-plotted. Jonathan Stroud solidifies the world and thinks of clever ways to explore it the more the books go on. It really goes somewhere, and it does have an end. So yeah, we'd love to do more."
Yet it has turned out not to be. In his statement after the cancellation, Stroud praised the "brilliant" show Netflix and production company Complete Fiction had made, noting how loved it was among subscribers across the globe.
And that claim stands up. Lockwood & Co was in the top spot for global Netflix shows early in its run and reached the top ten in 80 countries, as well as the number one spot in 18.
So with all this in mind, why has Netflix decided to cancel it?
The streaming giant has been on what we can only describe as a cancellation spree recently, so the expectations for this adaptation were likely higher than they might have been in previous years.
Lockwood & Co probably needed to pull some hefty viewing figures (not that we'll know exactly what the goal was, given that Netflix is notoriously opaque with its numbers), but it obviously didn't clear this barrier to entry to warrant a shot at coming back for more.
Additionally, the outlook wasn't completely rosy for the show when it saw a big drop in viewership from weeks 2 to 3 of its release.
Netflix has also shown that, despite the raging success of shows like Stranger Things, it has a lukewarm relationship with genre shows that skew younger.
That's to say, Lockwood & Co is unfortunately by no means an outlier. Last year, Netflix confirmed the cancellation of First Kill, Resident Evil, The Imperfects, The Midnight Club, and The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself after their first season, while Warrior Nun fans were denied a third season.
In this instance, as with the series before it, Lockwood & Co is gone but not forgotten.
Lockwood & Co is available to stream on Netflix.
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Previously Deputy TV Editor at Digital Spy and, before that, a TV Reporter at The Mirror, Rebecca can now be found crafting expert analysis of the TV landscape, when she's not talking on the BBC or Times Radio about everything from the latest season of Bridgerton or The White Lotus to whatever chaos is unfolding in the various Love Island villas. When she's not bingeing a boxset, in-the-wild sightings of Rebecca have included stints on the National TV Awards and BAFTAs red carpets, and post-match video explainers of the reality TV we're all watching.
