Netflix cancels Baz Luhrmann’s ‘The Get Down’
Its most expensive original series won’t be extended.
Netflix won't be renewing The Get Down after just one season. With filmmaker Baz Luhrmann at the helm, the show cost $120 million to produce, making it one of the most expensive TV productions in Hollywood history. There wasn't enough bang for all those bucks, however. It's also rare to hear of Netflix canning one of its original shows after a single season -- especially when The Get Down was announced and launched with the full support of the streaming service. Variety reports that some third-party viewing metrics show that the debut series drew roughly a fifth of the audience that watched Orange is the New Black in its first month. Only Netflix knows the true popularity of its series, however, and a cancellation isn't a good sign -- it's probably the worst one.
Luhrmann pulled in opera and musical influences to tell a story about growing up in the '70s Bronx, and said in interviews that he felt overwhelmed by the new role, and had considered dropping the show. Other behind-the-scenes production woes extended filming on a project that was setup over three years ago -- with things getting so bad that some writers started calling the project "The Shut Down". Which is now, sadly, true.
