In a somewhat surprising turn of events, Netflix canceled Dead Boy Detectives, prompting many viewers to wonder why the acclaimed show ended up on the streamer's chopping block. A supernatural mystery series that's infused with dark comedy, Dead Boy Detectives connects to The Sandman universe, which makes the show's sudden cancelation even more perplexing. George Rexstrew and Jayden Revri play the series' titular ghostly sleuths, Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland, as they and the rest of Dead Boy Detectives' cast of characters investigate Earth's supernatural crimes. Unfortunately, the show's inventive spin on the detective genre wasn't enough to convince Netflix.
✕ Remove Ads
Praised by long-time fans for its faithfulness to Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner's DC Comics source material, Dead Boy Detectives was a hit with critics too, landing an impressive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Even though Dead Boy Detectives season 1's ending set up an intriguing second season that could have continued the show's early success, Netflix didn't quite see that potential. Viewers can still turn to The Sandman season 2 if they're interested in spending more time in Gaiman and Wagner's fascinating world, but, for now, Dead Boy Detectives has firmly landed in the afterlife.
✕ Remove Ads
Dead Boy Detectives' Viewership Numbers Dropped Relatively Fast After Its Premiere
Netflix Probably Felt Like Dead Boy Detectives Was A Flash In The Pan
In a Variety exclusive, Netflix's decision to cancel Dead Boy Detectives after just one season becomes a little more understandable, as the show's viewership numbers dropped pretty quickly — and steeply — following the eight-episode season's premiere on April 25, 2024. Despite a solid opening, Dead Boy Detectives' first and only season clung to the Netflix Top 10 English TV charts for just three weeks after its release, peaking at number two on the lineup. While that run isn't as impressive as some of Netflix's mega-hits, it wasn't a terrible turn — but other metrics weren't so hot.
Dead Boy Detectives had an incredibly sharp decline, falling to a slim 1.8 million views by week three.
The Sandman spin-off garnered just 3.1 million views in its first three days on the platform. Although its views rose to just shy of 5 million during its first week, Dead Boy Detectives had an incredibly sharp decline, falling to a slim 1.8 million views by week three. After that, it vanished from the streamer's Top 10 chart altogether. Netflix's metrics for determining a show's success or failure are often criticized for being obtuse. However, the streaming giant often cites a week-to-week drop-off as a major factor in its renewal decisions.
Related
The Netflix mystery series Dead Boy Detectives includes multiple Easter Eggs and DC Comics references, such as the cameos by Despair and Death.
✕ Remove Ads
Dead Boy Detectives' Cancelation Continues Netflix's Trend Of Ending Critically Acclaimed Shows After 1 Season
The Sandman Spin-Off Follows In The Footsteps Of Shows Like 1899
Despite being one of the best horror TV shows of 2024, Dead Boy Detectives is continuing Netflix's incredibly disappointing trend of axing well-received series after just one season. In 2022, a similar fate befell 1899, a German sci-fi mystery series that felt like the perfect Dark replacement. While 1899 made waves in its first few weeks and received high marks from critics and audiences alike, Netflix pulled the plug on the eight-episode, one-season show. Now, Dead Boy Detectives joins a Netflix graveyard that's piled high with other genre series, from 1899 to The OA and Sense8.
Related
10 Netflix Cancellations That Hurt Me The Most
It's no secret that Netflix has a bad habit of nixing one or two-season shows with passionate fanbases, but these Netflix cancelations stung the most.
5
✕ Remove Ads
What Dead Boy Detectives' Cancelation Means For Netflix's Sandman Universe
One of the biggest disappointments to come out of Dead Boy Detectives' sudden cancelation is the fact that the abrupt axing also impacts the larger Sandman universe. For starters, tons of Sandman characters appeared in Dead Boy Detectives, which means certain stories play out across both shows. Plus, new Sandman season 2 characters, like Orpheus, were first referenced in Dead Boy Detectives season 1. Clearly, a lot of effort went into plotting the shows' crossover potential, so, suddenly, the cancelation of Dead Boy Detectives has also slashed The Sandman's epic scope.
Dead Boy Detectives season 1 is streaming on Netflix.
✕ Remove Ads
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
9/10
10/10
Dead Boy Detectives
TV-MA
Comedy
Mystery
Adventure
Based on the DC series, Dead Boy Detectives is a supernatural comedy-mystery series created for Netflix. Two young men from different find one another in death but decide to skip the afterlife and remain among the living with a new purpose - to solve various supernatural mysteries the way only two deceased detectives can.
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
- Cast
- George Rexstrew , Jayden Revri , Kassius Nelson , Briana Cuoco , Ruth Connell , Yuyu Kitamura , Jenn Lyon
- Release Date
- April 1, 2024
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
- Franchise(s)
- DC Universe
- Writers
- Steve Yockey
- Showrunner
- Steve Yockey , Beth Schwartz
- Main Genre
- Adventure
- Creator(s)
- Steve Yockey
Source: Variety
