The mystery crime drama series The Irregulars has been canceled by Netflix after one season.
Inspired by the Baker Street Irregulars from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels, The Irregulars followed the titular group of teenagers who work for John Watson to solve supernatural crimes while searching for Sherlock Holmes. The series, which launched on March 26th, starred Thaddea Graham as Bea, McKell David as Spike, Jojo Macari as Billy, Darci Shaw as Jessie, and Harrison Osterfield as the Duke of Albany, Prince Leopold. Recurring actors include Royce Pierreson as Watson and Henry Lloyd-Hughes as Holmes.
The cancellation of The Irregulars came as a surprise to many, as the Tom Bidwell-created series ranked second on the Top Shows on the Rise by Rise Ratio in the week that ended on March 28th. The premiere of the series even topped Nielsen’s Original Streaming Shows Charts, beating out Disney+’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier at the end of April.
According to streaming data released by Nielsen last week, The Irregulars was the number one streaming show the week it debuted, pulling in approximately 643 million minutes streamed across all eight episodes. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, meanwhile, came in second with an estimated 628 million minutes streamed.
Additionally, The Irregulars was canceled even if its eight-episode first season received favorable reviews from critics. The series currently holds an approval rating of 78 percent on the review website Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics consensus reading: “It taps into some fairly regular plot points, but when it dares to defy expectations and focus on its charming young cast, The Irregulars hints at something truly special lingering beneath the surface.”
While Netflix didn’t provide a reason for the show’s cancellation, Screen Rant reported that the streamer might have pulled the plug on the series because it didn’t project to be a multi-season hit. The website also noted that the cancellation of The Irregulars might be a result of Netflix becoming more selective about its funding, as industry norms continue to change during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Irregulars was one of the many shows that had to halt production in March 2020 due to the threat of COVID-19. And because filming on the series didn’t resume until last August, Showbiz Cheat Sheet reported that things might have changed drastically for the show’s cast and crew since then, making it impossible for the show to come back for another season.
The Irregulars is the latest in a string of series cancellations on Netflix, following The Duchess, Hoops, Queen Sono, The Order, and Away.