Netflix is making room on its slate. After months of internal deliberation, the streamer has officially canceled two of its 2024 scripted entries — The Residence and Pulse — both of which ran for just one season. Meanwhile, anthology dark comedy No Good Deed remains in limbo with no second season currently planned, though a new concept could still revive the series.
High Hopes, Short Runs The Residence, created by Paul William Davies and produced by Shondaland, was a comedic murder mystery set in the White House. It boasted an all-star cast including Uzo Aduba, Randall Park, Giancarlo Esposito, Susan Kelechi Watson, and Ken Marino, and made a splash when it premiered in March. Despite solid critical reception (85% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a strong debut at #2 on Netflix’s Top 10 English TV list, the show’s high production costs — including a seven-stage recreation of the White House — made a second season a tough sell.
The series was built as an anthology, with Emmy winner Aduba set to return as eccentric detective Cordelia Cupp in a new case each season. Conversations around budget cuts for a continuation reportedly took place, but nothing materialized. Pulse, Netflix’s first crack at the medical procedural genre, was quietly axed more than a month ago.
Created by Zoe Robyn and co-showrun by Carlton Cuse, the show followed Dr. Danny Simms (Willa Fitzgerald) and Dr. Xander Phillips (Colin Woodell) navigating high-stakes ER drama amid a hurricane and a scandalous relationship. Despite peaking at #3 on the Top 10 and drawing over 162 million global viewing hours, it struggled to stand out in an already saturated space. Its release coincided with the finale of The Pitt on Max, which dominated conversation and critical attention.
The show’s portrayal of workplace sexual misconduct may have also alienated audiences looking for escapism. Both The Residence and Pulse logged four weeks in Netflix’s global Top 10. But the streamer’s signature cost-benefit analysis — factoring viewership, audience engagement, and production costs — tipped the scale toward cancellation.
What About No Good Deed? Also on the bubble is No Good Deed, Liz Feldman’s dark comedy that debuted in December 2024. The series, starring O-T Fagbenle and Teyonah Parris, was also structured as an anthology, in the spirit of The White Lotus, with some characters potentially carrying over into new seasons.
The finale even teed up a mystery involving Carla’s (Parris) billionaire father and a new house purchase. Despite four weeks in the Top 10, peaking at 6 million views, the show received a lukewarm response. While there’s no official cancellation yet, sources say it’s unlikely to continue on its originally intended path.
Still, with Feldman’s track record (Dead to Me), Netflix is leaving the door open for a reimagined second installment with a new cast and storyline. Netflix’s 2025 Scripted Scorecard The streamer’s decision comes during a busy season of renewals. Recent pickups include Man On the Inside, Running Point, The Four Seasons, Beauty In Black, Forever, North of North, and Ransom Canyon, as well as Canadian import Bet.
Ongoing favorites like Bridgerton (Seasons 5 and 6), The Diplomat (Season 4), The Lincoln Lawyer (Season 4), My Life With the Walter Boys (Season 3), Tires (Season 3), and Survival of the Thickest (Season 3, final season) are also returning. On the flip side, The Recruit remains the only other Netflix series officially canceled this year — making 2025 one of the streamer’s lightest years for public cancellations. Until now.
With The Residence and Pulse joining the canceled pile and No Good Deed teetering on the edge, Netflix continues to double down on shows that can not only perform — but also scale. Share this: Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email Pinterest Like this: Like Loading…
