Amid the streaming era, viewers have a wide range of entertainment options at their fingertips, which is an awesome notion. However, what’s become all too common during this period of media consumption are swift, one-season cancellations for TV shows. It seemed that, for a while, that this was mostly common with Netflix, though it feels like it’s cropping up more frequently with other streamers. Hulu’s been dropping the ax in recent months as well, and yet another series has now officially been sacked after one season. And, truth be told, I’m getting tired of this.
It was reported at the end of this past week that the platform pulled the plug on freshman offering Death and Other Details. As noted by Variety, this development surfaces just weeks after the Season 1 finale, which is now – by default – the series finale. While an official reason for the show’s demise was not provided, the trade mentions that the show didn’t make much of a dent when it came to viewership amongst Hulu subscribers. Following its premiere, the production never made its way into Nielsen’s Top 10 streaming rankings. As noted by the news outlet, the mystery drama also wasn’t a hit with critics.
Created by Heidi Cole McAdams and Mike Weiss, Death and Other Details is inspired by the Agatha Christie mysteries of yesteryear. It centers on one Imogene Scott (Violett Beane), who must team up with a skilled detective (Mandy Patinkin) -- that she can't stand -- to solve a locked-room murder mystery on a luxury cruise liner. Also part of the cast were Rahul Kohli, Lauren Patten, Angela Zhou, Hugo Diego Garcia, Linda Emond and Pardis Saremi. 10 episodes were produced for the first season, which began in January and ended in early March.
I can surely understand factors like viewership and audience response play major roles in determining what shows move forward and which ones don’t. Still, it’s hard not to get annoyed over the constant stream of cancellations, especially those that happen to newbie titles. It goes without saying that there’s a lot of content on the market right now, and viewers like myself only have but so much time to invest in certain programs. So to do that and then have the series get the ax after only a season is disappointing. Admittedly, that’s why a little part of me is somewhat skittish when it comes to checking out new shows at times.
What’s also sad is that around the time that Death and Other Details premiered, there seemed to be a cancellation spree at Hulu. Not too long before that, Emmy-winning dramedy The Great had been canned after three seasons and, ahead of that, How I Met Your Father was given the boot after two seasons. It’s also worth noting that the streamer has also canceled other shows after single-season runs, including Kindred, High Fidelity, Reboot and Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. So, yeah, this has been happening for a little bit.
There honestly doesn’t seem to be a future in which this trend slows down, as entertainment conglomerates become more shrewd when analyzing what programming is drawing eyes. Again, this is a business, so it’s understandable that tough choices need to be made from time to time. It’s still hard not to get discouraged when a show like Death and Other Details doesn’t get a chance at a second season in order to improve a bit and possibly expand its audience.
So like we poured one out for The Great and other titles, let’s do the same for the recently ended mystery show. Also, I’m intrigued as to whether the series is reevaluated as time goes on and folks ultimately dub it a show that shouldn’t have been canceled after one season.
On the bright side, you can still stream the first season of Death and Other Details amongst the best shows on Hulu. Those in need of something else to watch now can also take a look at the 2024 TV schedule for potential options.
