Netflix cancels 'Dead Boy Detectives' after just one season
What's the story
Netflix has canceled the supernatural mystery series Dead Boy Detectives after just one season. The show, which premiered on April 25, was based on characters created by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner for DC Comics. Despite its initial success and positive critical reception, the series failed to maintain viewership numbers, leading to its cancelation.
Show history
Show's journey from DC to Netflix
Dead Boy Detectives had a complicated journey before landing on Netflix. The show initially received a pilot order from Max in 2021, followed by a series order in 2022. However, it was later sold to Netflix in 2023 as it did not align with Max-DC's new content direction led by James Gunn and Peter Safran. On Netflix, the series became part of the Sandman universe.
Story
Series plot and cast details
The series followed the adventures of Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), two deceased boys who formed a detective agency in the afterlife to solve supernatural mysteries. The cast also included Kassius Nelson, Yuyu Kitamura, Jenn Lyon, Briana Cuoco, David Iacono, Lukas Gage, and Ruth Connell. The show was developed for television by Steve Yockey, who also served as co-showrunner and executive producer alongside Beth Schwartz.
Viewership trends
'Dead Boy Detectives's initial success and viewership decline
Dead Boy Detectives started strong, remaining in the Netflix Top 10 English TV charts for three weeks post-release. It reached its peak at the number two spot during the week of April 22-28, but only garnered 3.1 million views in its first three days. The show's viewership increased to 4.7 million in its first full week, but then crashed to just 1.8 million views in week three before disappearing from the Top 10 chart.