Netflix Inc. said Thursday it was canceling the comedy “One Day at a Time” because of low viewership, a decision that drew criticism from some fans and critics and underscored how the streaming-video giant is under a microscope as it becomes a bigger player in original programming.
The show, which ran for three seasons, was a remake of the 1970s sitcom about a divorced mother raising her two daughters, created by prolific producer Norman Lear. The new version was about a Cuban-American family living in Los Angeles.
Netflix NFLX, -0.66% took the unusual step of commenting in detail on its decision. Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said in a statement, “This was a very difficult decision and we’re thankful to all the fans who’ve supported the series.” He added, “While it’s disappointing that more viewers didn’t discover One Day at a Time, I believe the series will stand the test of time.”
We’ve made the very difficult decision not to renew One Day At A Time for a fourth season. The choice did not come easily — we spent several weeks trying to find a way to make another season work but in the end simply not enough people watched to justify another season.
— Netflix US (@netflix) March 14, 2019
Netflix doesn’t publicly share most viewership data, so it is difficult for fans and producers to gauge what makes for a popular show on the service. In an interview, “One Day at a Time” executive producer Mike Royce said Netflix didn’t provide any viewing data in explaining its decision.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
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