How COVID Changed the Cancellation Landscape Forever

Renewed series axed mid-production, budgets spiked overnight, and a new cancellation logic that never went away.

Before 2020, a renewal meant safety. After COVID, it meant nothing. According to Deadline, Netflix reversed its Season 2 renewal of The Society in August 2020 and scrapped the quietly renewed I Am Not Okay With This in the same announcement — both well-liked internally, both killed by pandemic logistics. Our fan-written ending for The Society exists because of that exact decision. The pandemic did not just pause television; it permanently rewrote what gets cancelled and why.

The Un-Renewals: When "Yes" Became "No"

The Society had been renewed in July 2019 with Season 2 slated for late 2020; scripts for the follow-up to I Am Not Okay With This were already written and production was on track, according to Deadline and Variety. Then uncertainty around production dates, large-ensemble scheduling, and COVID-driven budget increases killed both, per Netflix's own statement. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the same logic across the industry: shows that could not answer "when can you shoot, safely, with this cast, at this price?" died regardless of performance. I Am Not Okay With This showrunner Jonathan Entwistle later told Business Insider the show was "more expensive than they figured it was worth doing" once pandemic costs landed — and that champions of the show among Netflix executives had meanwhile moved on.

The Cost Spike That Never Fully Reversed

Health protocols, testing regimes, quarantine days and smaller on-set bubbles added structural cost to every production. According to industry reporting at the time, series with big ensembles, location shoots or child actors — The Society had all three — became disproportionately expensive overnight. Streamers learned to price "completion risk" into renewals: a show that might shut down mid-season was worth less than one that could be made in a bubble. That logic outlived the protocols themselves and hardened into today's completion-rate doctrine, covered in our how streaming services decide what to cancel guide. The pandemic taught platforms to cancel on risk, not just results.

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The Legacy: Five Permanent Changes

First, renewals are now conditional in practice — platforms openly reverse them. Second, large young ensembles are a risk factor, not just a demographic win. Third, the 28-day completion window became the core metric, because COVID proved early viewing predicts survival. Fourth, "too expensive for the audience it draws" became an acceptable public reason, normalising cost-talk that used to stay private. Fifth, fan campaigns professionalised: Society and I Am Not Okay With This petitions set the template for Lockwood & Co., Warrior Nun and Shadow and Bone. For the campaigns that worked, see how fan campaigns have saved cancelled shows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which shows did COVID get cancelled?
The highest-profile cases: The Society (renewal reversed) and I Am Not Okay With This (quiet renewal scrapped), both Netflix, August 2020 — plus USA's Evel and dozens of pilots industry-wide.
Why did COVID cause cancellations instead of delays?
Uncertainty over shoot dates, ensemble scheduling, and pandemic-driven budget increases made some shows unviable at their audience size, per Netflix and trade reporting.
Did cancellation logic return to normal after COVID?
No. Completion-rate doctrine, cost-vs-risk renewals and reversible pickups all date from the pandemic era and still govern decisions.
CancelledEndings Editorial — Independent fan-written endings for cancelled shows. Every guide is researched against trade reporting (Variety, Deadline, THR, TVLine) and written to honour the show's tone. About · Contact

Explore our fan-written ending for The Society and our library of fan-written conclusions. For the business mechanics, see the economics of cancellation.