"Blockbuster" Cancelled by Netflix after One Season
by Nellie Andreeva
December 16, 2022


Netflix has opted not to renew new comedy series "Blockbuster" for a second season.

The decision is not surprising. The single-camera workplace comedy starring Randall Park and Melissa Fumero had a quiet run after launching Nov. 3 and never cracked Netflix’s weekly Top 10.

(Since Netflix uses hours viewed as ratings metric, comedies are at an inherent disadvantage since their episodes are about half the length of their drama/dramedy counterparts.

https://deadline.com/2022/12/blockbuster-canceled-netflix-randall-park-1235192820/

10 Cancelled TV Shows That Made Obvious Mistakes (https://whatculture.com/tv/10-cancelled-tv-shows-that-made-obvious-mistakes?page=9)

2. Being Set In The Present Day - Blockbuster

On paper, a nostalgic sitcom (https://forums.primetimer.com/forum/4913-blockbuster/) centered around the halcyon days of Blockbuster Video could've been an easy hit for Netflix - ironically, the company who put them out of business - especially with the charming Randall Park and Melissa Fumero playing the leads.

The problem? For reasons that will never be truly clear, the decision was made to set the show in the present day, focused on the employees of the last remaining Blockbuster store.

But that isn't nearly as fun or interesting as a period sitcom set in the mid-90s - the height of Blockbuster's power - which could've easily exploited the growing audience nostalgia for that era.

It was a slam-dunk idea, because there are few things more bankable in media than nostalgia, and yet by bafflingly setting it in the present, Blockbuster ended up feeling like nothing more than a tired, fourth-rate Superstore knock-off.

Barely a month after its release, Netflix announced Blockbuster's cancellation, confirming that audiences had soundly rejected it - and letting everyone joke that Netflix killed Blockbuster again.