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Just a month after releasing its latest workplace comedy, Blockbuster, Netflix confirmed that it wasn’t picking up the series for a second season. Starring Randall Park, Melissa Fumero, and Olga Merediz, the show is centered on the everyday of lives employees inside the last Blockbuster Video in America and their efforts to keep business going.
Unfortunately, Blockbuster didn’t remain in business at Netflix. And while the streamer has canceled shows before (Emma Roberts’ First Kill didn’t make it past the first season either), this one got several people riled up.
Blockbuster Was Set Up For A Possible Season 2…
Having written and produced workplace comedies in the past (Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Superstore), series creator Vanessa Ramos knew the drill by the time she created Blockbuster: look to the future with cautious optimism.
In the season one finale, chaos erupts at the store after a solar storm breaks the internet. Meanwhile, Eliza (Melissa Fumero) rejects her husband’s proposal, telling Aaron (Leonard Robinson) that she has feelings for Park’s Timmy.
However, things don’t work out for Timmy and Eliza in the end and at the same time, Timmy had a lot on his mind when the episode ended. This is all part of his story arc.
“It’s a guy running a Blockbuster in 2022. It’s hard. He’s just so winning — the way I viewed it is if we want to make an impact, we’ve got to break the unbreakable man. We wanted him to have somewhat of a win before that with the solar storm,” Ramos said.
“And Tim being like, ‘Yeah, Blockbuster’s back baby.’ He gets to feel what he felt in its heyday. Something about it felt right for this character. To learn and grow, he needs to bottom out.”
As for Timmy’s relationship with Eliza, that could have been figured out during season 2. “We started the season going like, ‘Okay, where are we going?’” Ramos said.
“And then devised little breadcrumbs emotionally to see how we would get everybody there. It’s like, ‘Okay, we’ve just got to get to Episode 10.’ And then anything beyond that is a season 2 problem. Hopefully, we’re in a position to figure it out.”
Since Netflix confirmed the show’s cancelation though, those plans are gone.
But Netflix Canceled Blockbuster
It was announced that the streamer was axing the show just a month after the series premiered. This comes after Blockbuster failed to reach Netlix’s Top 10 in the U.S. following its premiere.
And while other shows that underperform in the U.S. do better in other countries, Blockbuster only managed to reach the Top 10 in Australia and Canada. Even more concerning, it only remained there for a week.
It is also worth pointing out that the show is one of Netflix’s lowest-rated to date with Blockbuster receiving a poor 22 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes after 46 reviews. “Workplace sitcoms run the gamut, but they’re best when they have as much interest in the ‘work’ part of the equation as the ‘sitcom,’” the Chicago Tribune wrote.
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“Blockbuster, while far too ordinary to be actively offensive, is nonetheless made somehow more disappointing by its singular lack of ambition, content instead to be a clone of other, superior shows,” the San Francisco Chronicle also said.
Meanwhile, several viewers were also unimpressed by the show. Most questioned why the show had to be set in the modern day.
“Eurgh, it’s modern day?! I wanted to watch it for Blockbuster nostalgia. The Friday rush to get a popular VHS when they only have limited copies! 90s and y2k nostalgia has been so big lately they really missed a trick,” one wrote on Reddit.
“It had so much potential to be a nostalgic show and also capture what it was like when Blockbuster was so popular for people who didn’t experience it,” another said. “Seemed like a no brainer for the writers to take it in that direction. Such a missed opportunity!”
Since Then, Netflix Has Been Caught In Some Controversy
Sure, the streamer has canceled other shows before, but nothing like Blockbuster, which many accused Netflix of canceling twice. Of course, it didn’t. But many have since pointed out that Netflix essentially put Blockbuster out of business twice.
Years ago, before Netflix made streaming a thing, business had been good for Blockbuster. But when Netflix entered and offered subscriptions, Blockbuster struggled to stay afloat. In 2010, Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy, leaving just one store open in Bend, Oregon. Today, that remaining store is also available on Airbnb.
And while didn’t protest against Netflix when Blockbuster closed down most of its business, it seems the streamer’s decision to cancel a show based on Blockbuster triggered quite a strong response on social media.
It seemingly began when entertainment writer Richard Newby tweeted, “Can’t believe this is the second time in history that Netflix put Blockbuster out of business.” Blockbuster also retweeted Newby’s message with the message, “Oh God not again…”
Meanwhile, Newby’s tweet has also since received a lot of responses with some agreeing with him. “maybe they made the show only thinking it would be nice to kill it one more time,” one wrote. Another also tweeted, “Brought it back to life just to kill it again.”
That said, many also defended Netflix’s decision to axe Blockbuster, saying that the show failed to meet expectations.
“I watched one episode and had a tough time getting through it. It was AWFUL. Horrible writing, completely dated premise. Not a single chuckle watching. A painful watch,” one said. Another wrote, “Terrible show. Total missed opportunity.”
At least Blockbuster is still on Airbnb. The store in Bend also remains open for business.
