In a move that has disappointed fans of the quirky father-son comedy series, Netflix has announced the cancellation of “Unstable” after just two seasons.
The show, which starred veteran actor Rob Lowe and his real-life son John Owen Lowe, followed the misadventures of Ellis Dragon, the eccentric CEO of a biotechnology company, and his estranged son, Jackson, who joins the firm in a bid to save both his father and the business from spiraling out of control.
The news of the cancellation, which has been relayed to the show’s crew, comes as no surprise to industry insiders. Despite its star power and unique premise, “Unstable” failed to break into Netflix’s coveted top 10 rankings, a key metric the streaming giant uses to determine renewal decisions.
“Season 2 — which debuted August 1 — failed to break into the Netflix Top 10, meaning that it drew fewer than 1.4M views in its opening weekend and fewer than 1.3M in its first full week,” reports Deadline. “Netflix executives base their renewal decisions on viewing vs. cost.”
The show’s underwhelming performance is a stark reminder of the challenges facing original comedy series in the ever-evolving streaming landscape. As Netflix continues prioritizing content that resonates with a broad audience, niche offerings like “Unstable” often find themselves on the chopping block.
“While original comedy series continue to be challenging for streamers, with Unstable joining the recent Netflix cancellation of sophomore That ’90s Show, there have been a handful of successes as Netflix recently renewed its new comedy breakout Nobody Wants This for a second season as well as stalwart Emily In Paris for Season 5,” the article notes.
The Lowe family’s disappointment at the cancellation of “Unstable” is undoubtedly deep. The series was inspired by their social media relationship, in which John Owen often humorously trolls his famous father.
“It took doing a TV show with each other for Rob and me to re-explore some of the deeper parts of our interpersonal relationship, so we figured, why not make it so that Ellis and Jackson have to play characters for them to work through an interpersonal conflict?” John Owen told Variety.
The show’s creative team, which included co-creator Victor Fresco (who served as showrunner for the first season) and Andrew Gurland (who took over the role for season two), had high hopes for the series, even teasing potential storylines for a hypothetical third season.
“I can’t wait to see Ellis stumble his way through and probably be brilliant in just putting together his campaign,” Rob Lowe said. “I want to see Fred Armisen [who plays Ellis’ live-in therapist, Leslie] running a campaign, maybe Jackson being Bobby Kennedy to Ellis’ Jack Kennedy. We’re very focused on Ellis being excited about Jackson becoming the first son.”
Those plans have been dashed, as Netflix has decided to pull the plug on “Unstable.” While the streaming giant has found success with a handful of new comedy offerings, the show’s inability to break through the noise and captivate a substantial audience ultimately sealed its fate.
The cancellation of “Unstable” is another example of the challenges that creators face in the ever-evolving world of streaming television. As platforms refine their programming strategies, some beloved shows inevitably fall by the wayside, leaving fans to mourn the loss of characters and stories they’ve grown to love.
For the Lowes, the journey with “Unstable” may have ended abruptly, but their fans can take solace in the fact that they’ve left an indelible mark on the industry. And who knows? Perhaps their next creative collaboration will find a more receptive audience, allowing them to continue exploring the complexities of their real-life father-son dynamic on the small screen.