Orange Is the New Black, one of Netflix’s original originals, will end next year after its seventh season.
This comes shortly after Netflix canceled Marvel’s Iron Fist after only two seasons and Everything Sucks after just one.
While Netflix canceled original shows before, they were mostly expensive shows that weren’t mainstream hits, like The Get Down and Sense8. As Wired notes, these recent cancelations of more popular series seem to signal an end to the era of Netflix instantly renewing every show on its platform and taking a “laissez-faire” approach to its programming.
So what does it mean when Netflix’s longest-running original shows, like OITNB and House of Cards are coming to an end? Looks like Netflix realized that the shows passed the prime of their early seasons. Canceling them allows Netflix to narrow its focus and utilize its budget in a smarter way.
Only time will show how this manifests—perhaps we’ll see more Netflix original films or continued sci-fi offerings such as Black Mirror and Altered Carbon.
This sort of refocusing is becoming necessary as Netflix’s streaming competitors have started catching up in the original content game. While Netflix may be dominating at the awards shows, Hulu and Amazon aren’t far behind.
Although saying farewell to the ladies of the Litchfield Penitentiary will be bittersweet, it may clear the way for the next great Netflix original.
