It's a running joke among TV fans that there's no point in sticking with a Netflix show because it won't be available for long, but its high viewership metrics don't always factor in quality, and there are some absolute gems among the series we've watched.
From a laugh-out-loud mystery comedy to the return (and farewell) of a hit spy series, there are plenty of shows that were canceled this year that are still worth watching. As easy as Netflix is on cancellations, it's among the best streaming services for a reason: What they offer is always an entertaining, big-budget affair, even if it only lasts one season.
And of all the series we said goodbye to this year, three in particular stood out for me, so here's my pick of the three best Netflix shows that were canceled in 2025.
The Residence
Look
RT Score: 84%
Stations: 1
Episodes: 8
Between poker face, Only murders… and the Knives out Trilogy and crime comedies are all the rage right now, but The Residence It is a disturbance that goes unnoticed and is well worth spending your time on.
Taking Agatha Christie's idea of a murder in a grand mansion to its inevitable conclusion, The Residence takes place in the White House with Detective Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba) tasked with investigating a murder in which the list of suspects is in the triple digits. Full of hijinks and domestic politics, the case spans every corner of the center of American government.
Despite peaking at number two on the Netflix charts at the time of its release, the show suffered when faced with big hits. Adolescencewith viewers captivated by the entirely bleaker murder story, and not long after Netflix announced that The Residence I wouldn't go back. It would have been interesting to see what other cases Cupp was able to solve, but the finished season is still a huge binge.
The seafront
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RT Score: 68%
Stations: 1
Episodes: 8
With his (we hope) triumphant return to the Shout franchise just around the corner, Kevin Williamson is riding high, so it was a big surprise when Netflix announced The seafrontcreated and written by Williamson, would not return for a season 2.
Partly inspired by the writer's upbringing on the North Carolina coast, The seafront Follow the Buckley family as they struggle to maintain control of their failing fishing empire, resorting to increasingly desperate methods to keep things afloat. As expected from the man behind Dawson's CreekThe drama is deliciously pulpy and wildly addictive as the Buckleys face one escalating crisis after another.
The show debuted at number one in the summer of 2025 and was eventually dethroned by the Korean drama juggernaut. Squid GameThe third and last. However, despite the large viewership from the beginning, it has been suggested that the show's completion rate was the problem here, with viewers unable to watch the episodes until the end. It's a shame, because it really was a solid first outing, and Williamson suggested he had a three-season plan for the show. But don't let this discourage you, there's still a lot to enjoy in the solo season of this family drama.
The recruit
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RT Score: 77%
Stations: 2
Episodes: 14
Returning after three years of absence, The recruit It finally delivered its second season in 2025, and Netflix announced its cancellation just weeks later.
The show follows Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo), a CIA lawyer who gets caught up in an agency conspiracy. Originally debuting in 2022, Hollywood strikes and scheduling issues meant that season 2 took three long years to hit screens. However, both seasons are worth checking out, especially with the benefit of now being able to enjoy them back to back. It would be fair to say that The recruit It's not the most amazing spy thriller out there, but Centineo's charm and a fun, Hitchcockian plot make the series very watchable.
It is possible that the program's cancellation was due to the fact that similar programs The night agent became a huge hit for Netflix in The recruitThey were either bad years, or simply that audiences had moved on after the kind of gap that usually only generates big returns for mega hits like stranger things. Either way, the series is no more, but that doesn't mean there aren't two wildly entertaining seasons waiting to air right now.
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