Why Did Netflix Cancel ‘The Get Down’ After One Season?

Netflix just canceled Baz Luhrmann’s musical drama, “The Get Down,” after one season.

According to Deadline, the decision of the popular streaming site came after the second half of Season 1 was made available last month. The publication also noted that it is quite rare for Netflix to not pick up their original series for a second season.

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“The Get Down” Season 1 consisted of 12 episodes that focused on the rise of hip-hop and the last days of disco in the 1970s. It also revolved around the lives of young musical artists and DJs also known as the “Get Down Brothers.” Netflix released the first six episodes of “The Get Down” in August 2016, but it was only in April that they were able to stream the remaining six installments, according to TV Line.

These delays were ultimately a result of the exit and entry of old and new showrunners and writers. “The Get Down” also underwent pre-production and production delays. Lurhmann acted as showrunner for Season 1, but even before Netflix made a decision to cancel the series, he already said that he will become less involved in Season 2 if it will be picked up.

While speaking with Vulture, the showrunner claimed that a second season for “The Get Down” is already in its early stages of development. “To be honest, we have already developed the opening of the next season. Sony and Netflix have been very driven about having a second season. There has been no question about that. They really want it,” he said.

Following Netflix’s announcement of “The Get Down’s” cancellation, Lurhmann explained on his Facebook account that his decision to not be part of Season 2 was one of the main reasons for the axing of the series. Lurhmann expressed his sadness over the cancellation of “The Get Down” and said that he just cannot split himself between making movies and series.

A month before the first six episodes of “The Get Down” were released, Lurhmann talked about the series at the Television Critics Association summer press tour. “Here is the biggest year of recording history through music that is disco, but in this borough where there is so little and the world had forgotten, these people were so inventive with whatever they had,” he said.