Netflixhas a single-season problem. Over the last decade, a disturbing trend has emerged on the streamer where series — regardless of how successful — get the ax prematurely. Gone is the age of cable, and so too of multiple-season, 20-episodes-a-season juggernauts. Now, everything is a limited series, intentional or otherwise. It doesn’t matter if a show has loose ends or if the fans say they wanta second season.
Andy Rice, professor of media, journalism, and film, elaborated on the phenomenon withThe Miami Student. “…Streaming, unlike broadcast television, is not more profitable when a show is seen by more people because it’s subscription-based,” he said. In other words,one account is one unit of income. A show’s viewership doesn’t matter.On top of that, many shows that probably would’ve gotten a second season got hit by shrapnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those shows with ensemble casts and lots of extras required more risk prevention measures than the more stripped-down, bare-bones shows and just became too expensive to shoot at the time. One of the most contentious victims of this era was the Netflix comedy seriesTeenage Bounty Hunters.
Teenage Bounty Huntersis about high schoolers Blair and Sterling Wesley, who one day, through happenstance, stumble into helping a local bounty hunter named Bowser. Through this incident, they realize that they not only have a knack for this work but also love it. Soon, they start working for him under the table as his “interns” while also trying to juggle their day-to-day lives as students and manage their personal relationships and family obligations. The lead actors, Anjelica Bette Fellini, Maddie Phillips, and Kadeem Hardison, anchor the show with equal parts comedic and dramatic acting chops. The ensemble is equally lovable and talented, with so many standout performances that it’s hard to pick just one to mention.
The show brings to mindseries likeVeronica Mars, given the teen-crime-fighting and balancing-act things. It definitely errs more comedic, though.Teenage Bounty Hunterswas executive produced by Jenji Kohan, who was also behindOrange is the New BlackandGLOW. All three have a similar feel and are all ensemble dramedies. However,Teenage Bounty Huntersarguably has something extra special. The chemistry and warmth among the cast is palpable. This familial aspect is part of why the fanbase is so passionate, especially when you consider that it came out during a time when everyone was so isolated.
16 Underrated Comedies That Became Cult Classics
These comedies may not have been hits on release, but they have garnered a deserved cult following.
Finally, the show had a fascinating thesis at its center: thatgrowth can happen at any age and come from the unlikeliest places. The two teenagers learned just as much from the 50-something Bowser as he did from them. The age diversity (anddiversity in general) was yet another refreshing thing to viewers.
The Wild ‘Save TBH’ Campaign
Teenage Bounty Hunters
Teenage Bounty Hunters is a comedy-drama series that follows twin sisters as they balance the complexities of high school life with their unexpected side job as bounty hunters. Guided by a seasoned bounty hunter, they navigate the precarious balance between adolescent tribulations and their secretive, adventurous work. The show delves into themes of identity, responsibility, and teamwork, providing both humor and action through its episodic structure.
WhenTeenage Bounty Hunters' cancelation was announced,the reaction was intense. An outpouring of articles and social media commentary came out. The creator and actors spoke up about how crushed they were, too, never mind seeingthe series end on a cliffhanger. A movement was started to save the show, based on how series such asArrested Developmentwere brought back through similar efforts. Fans started a Change.org petition, tweeted Netflix incessantly, and even mailed Sour Patch Kids (an inside joke from the show) to executives at Netflix headquarters. Still, the streamer did not relent.
You would think the fact that the show was not, in fact, brought back would leave folks feeling deflated. That has not been the case. To this day, fans still comment on cast members and creator Kathleen Jordan’s Instagram pages. Articles didn’t just stop in the immediate aftermath in 2020; they have continued to come out every single year since. This one fromPaste Magazinein 2022 is titled ‘It Still Stings: Teenage Bounty Hunters Deserved More than Getting Lost in Netflix’s Churn’ — which sums up sentiments quite nicely.
11 TV Shows That Were Canceled at the Height of Their Popularity
Devoted fans are often left emotionally wrecked when their favorite shows are surprisingly given the ax, causing them to wonder just what went wrong.
If there’s any hope to be gleaned from this tragedy, it’s that the overwhelming support for Kathleen Jordan’sfirst original seriesdidn’t go unnoticed. In fact,Teenage Bounty Hunters, being such a smashing success, likely played a role in her next series,The Decameron, getting greenlit by Netflix. She also inked an overall deal with HBO and Max. The actors have garnered work since, too, with Fellini appearing in Wes Anderson’s flick,The French Dispatch, and Phillips starring in the popular Prime Video series Gen V.Teenage Bounty Huntersis streaming onNetflix.
