Last week it was confirmed that Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina would end after its next batch of episodes.
Based on the Archie comic stories of the same name, the series was originally developed by the CW network as a companion show to Riverdale but, after the network passed on the series, ended up being taken forward by Netflix instead.
The series, which is much darker in tone than the 1990s Sabrina the Teenage Witch (also based on the comic strip), stars Kiernan Shipka as Sabrina who in this version finds herself confronting the evil forces that threaten and the daylight world.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina debuted in 2018 with an initial batch of 11 episodes, followed by the second half of season one in April 2019. The show returned this January with the first 8 episodes of season two, the second half of which are due to air later this year.
However fans were disappointed to discover that these will mark the end of the show. It’s not yet clear whether the decision to axe the series was taken before or after filming wrapped in February and what implication this has for plot lines.
News of Sabrina’s demise comes just weeks after CW itself announced that fellow Riverdale spin-off Katy Keene is also being axed. That series can be seen in the UK from July 25th when it lands on the BBC’s iPlayer.
While fans of both spin-offs may be disappointed at their demise, Riverdale fans can at least take comfort that that show’s immediate future is secure as CW has already ordered a fifth season which is set to debut next year.
Sabrina isn’t the only popular Netflix show that’s confirmed to be coming to an end.
According to Streamingwars, which lists the best offer for streaming services, both Ozark and Michael Douglas’ sitcom The Kominsky Method – written by The Big Bang Theory creator Chuck Lorre – will also end with their next seasons, and it’s already been confirmed that Lost in Space will bow out after its third run.
The shocking end to the third season of Ozark left viewers open-mouthed and desperate to know what comes next for Marty Byrde (Justin Bateman) and family.
Thankfully the fallout is set to be revealed in a 14-episode fourth season which is likely to debut next year and it seems Bateman fans don’t need to despair too much because, while Ozark is coming to an end, the actor’s association with Netflix looks set to continue after he signed a development deal with the streaming giant.
If you’re wondering why Netflix drops so many shows after just a handful of seasons, Deadline last year reported that executives at the streaming service don’t see much value in shows having much more than 30 episodes, this apparently being the right length “to satisfy viewers discovering the show.”
However it’s claimed that Netflix also includes restrictions in the contracts for many shows which stop them moving to another service or network “for a significant period of time” and thereby making it much less likely that anyone else will pick them up.
On the flip side, the service has picked up shows which networks have walked away from – for example Kiefer Sutherland’s Designated Survivor which it gave a third (and final) season to after its original broadcast home dropped the series with plotlines dangling.
