Dead Boy Detectives Canceled by Netflix: What to Watch Next?

[Music] so dead boy detectives has officially been cancelled at Netflix with its one and only season dropping on April 25th it's a bit of a bummer especially considering the show's long and twisty journey to even make it to the screen originally it got a pilot order at Max back in 2021 and then a series order in 2022 but before it could see the light of day there it got sold to Netflix in 2023 why well the word is that the show didn't really fit with the new Direction James gun and Peter saffron are taking with Max's DC content the whole thing is kind of wild when you think about it this series based on characters created by Neil gaimon and Matt Wagner was all set to be a Max original they were just two episodes away from wrapping up filming when the decision came down to shift over to Netflix and now after all that it's already done definitely a roller coaster ride for everyone involved the show Stars Jaden Revy and George rexr as Charles Roland and Edwin Payne a couple of teenagers who yeah get killed off unexpectedly but here's where it gets interesting in the afterlife they meet hit it off and decide hey why not start a detective agency and that's where the title of both the comics and the show comes from these ghostly best buds start solving Supernatural Mysteries stuff that only they can handle because well they're dead but there's a catch they're not really supposed to be hanging around in the world of the living Edwin in particular is in a tricky spot since he was technically a sacrifice he's supposed to be chilling in hell so now both boys are on the run from the Night Nurse who's basically in charge of making sure they reach their final destination Netflix's decision to cancel dead boy detectives remains a bit of a mystery but it's likely tied to the usual suspects viewership numbers production costs or a shift in content strategy it's not the first time Netflix has asked a show with potential and it probably won't be the last was it really that bad though let's look at the numbers so the show had a pretty decent run it even made it into Netflix's top 10 English TV charts for a solid three weeks after it dropped it hit its peak at number two during the week of April 22nd to 28th which sounds great right but here's the kicker it only pulled in 3.1 million views in those first three days in its first full week it slipped to number three even though views ticked up to 4.7 million but then things took a nose dive by week three it was down to 1.8 million views and then poof gone from the charts entirely now despite those shaky numbers critics were actually pretty kind the show snagged a solid 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes which is no small feat and audiences they were right there with the critics giving it a strong 90% score on the platform all right so Netflix might have closed the book on dead boy detectives but that doesn't necessarily mean it's game over for the series or its characters there are still a few ways this story could continue just because Netflix dropped it doesn't mean another streaming service won't swoop in and save the day I mean we've seen this happen before right HBO Max Hulu Amazon Prime any of these could see the potential and give the show a new home so it's not totally out of the question that we'll see Charles and Edwin back in Action sometimes when a show gets the ax it doesn't just disappear it finds new life in other forms we're talking graphic novels podcasts maybe even a film and given that dead boy detectives has its roots in the comic book world there's definitely potential for more stories to be told whether in print or as a cool animated series here's the thing cancellations can sometimes fire up fans in a big way and with social media fans have more power than ever to make their voices heard remember how Warrior nun got resurrected after fans wouldn't stop campaigning if dead boy detectives builds up enough of a cult following who knows a strong enough fan campaign could totally catch the eye of another Network or streaming service hash save dead boy detectives is already trending so you know what to do sorry to disappoint y'all but season 2 was never a sure thing the show Runners mentioned that the team had a lot of conversations about about season 2 including who they'd want to bring back the first season even left us hanging with a cliffhanger involving at least two cast members but here's the thing they never really set a hard goal for how many seasons they wanted to do showrunners Steve Yaki and Beth Schwarz didn't have a specific number of seasons in mind it's more of a case of the week kind of deal where they could always find new season arcs Yaki and Schwarz both come from shows that run for 23 episodes a season so they're used to crafting longer stories but get this Yaki knew from the moment they wrote The Pilot what the last scene of the show would be so yeah they had a direction in mind but here's the bummer fans won't get to see where that direction was headed all right so if you're into dead boy detectives and looking for something else to binge I've got a few recommendations that might just hit the spot whether you're into Supernatural Mysteries or shows with a bit of a darker Edge there's something here for you let's dive in man and I'm still salty about this one getting cancelled half bad was one of those shows that flew way under the radar thanks Netflix they didn't promote it at all which is a crime because it was fantastic the show follows Nathan the illegitimate son of the world's most dangerous witch as he tries to figure out who he really is while being hunted by those who fear what he might become it's intense gripping and had so much potential but it got the ax after just one season this one throws you right into the thick of things no handholding here the show centers around Maddie a high school girl who finds herself stuck in the afterlife with no memory of how she got there as she navigates this strange limbo she teams up with other ghostly students to solve the mystery of her death if you're vibing with the ghostly detective angle then Lockwood should be next on your list it's got a similar feel to dead boy detectives but with a slightly darker Edge the show follows a trio of teenage ghost hunters in a world plagued by deadly Spirits they run a small Scrappy agency that's always on the brink of disaster but their chemistry and the Fantastical elements really make it shine and yeah it's another show Netflix decided to cancel after a few seasons here's one that's off thewall in the best way possible this show is wild quirky and just plain fun it's about Dirk gentley an eccentric detective who believes everything in the universe is interconnected he's joined by a reluctant sidekick as they solve bizarre and often supernat natural cases it's got a similar vibe to dead boy detectives though it leans more into the Fantastical and weird fair warning though it got cancelled after two seasons so don't expect a tidy ending if you like dead boy detectives this one should be right up your alley especially since it's also based on a Neil Gaiman book the show follows an angel and a demon who team up to prevent the apocalypse and along the way you get a mix of humor heart and a bit of the supernatural plus it's got Canon queer characters and a fantastic dynamic between the leads it's clever charming and totally binge worthy didn't you have a flaming sword uh you did it was flaming like anything what happened to it lost it already have you gave it away you L I gave it away be funny if we both got it wrong eh if I did the good thing and you did the bad one no wouldn't be funny at all