Netflix is rethinking its 2025 TV show strategy as it looks to its future slate, but it’s barely been a few months since Pulse and The Residence made their debut and already the streaming service has decided to pull the plug.
This may appear unexpected, especially since Netflix continues to dominate in the streaming wars. From Wednesday Season 2 to the final chapter of Stranger Things, its most high-profile hits are already lining up for blockbuster returns.
Squid Game Season 3 smashed records with 60 million views in just three days, and Netflix is looking to ride that wave with a potential USA spinoff and a second season of its reality series Squid Game: The Challenge.
But for every hit, there’s a handful of shows that don’t quite land. Whether they quietly vanish into the algorithm (The Brothers Sun, anyone?) or cause uproar like Warrior Nun (which spawned a global petition), Netflix’s cancellations are often divisive.
Why has Netflix canceled Pulse & The Residence?
Ultimately, these decisions always boil down to one thing: money. Not only does Netflix look at viewership figures, but it also considers how many users watched to completion, production costs, and competition, focusing on how best to maximize subscriber retention and revenue.
Both Pulse and The Residence had their own issues to contend with. As highlighted in a report from Deadline, Pulse – a new medical drama that landed on April 3 – had stiff competition.
It was the last of five new medical dramas to be released in a six-month competition, with Fox’s Doc, NBC’s Brilliant Minds, CBS’ Watson, and Max’s The Pitt all coming before it.
What’s more, The Pitt turned out to be a resounding success, with its penultimate episode dropping the same day as Pulse, meaning less viewers were inclined to check out Netflix’s show.
The outlet highlighted that Pulse may have also been affected by its exploration of sexual harassment in the workplace, describing it as a “hard sell” for those looking for soapy escapism.
As for its performance, Pulse received mixed reviews, earning a respective 48% and 58% from critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Dexerto even said we’d be “surprised if Pulse gets a second series,” with all 10 episodes blurring “into an indistinguishable weekend.”
It debuted with 6.5 million views, followed by 8.5 million, 3.2 million and 2 million views in the weeks after that, peaking at number three on the global Top 10 chart. While this isn’t shabby, in Netflix terms, it’s not a resounding success.
Its niche subject matter, middling reviews, and stiff competition likely nudged those metrics below Netflix’s internal threshold. Sources told Deadline that the TV show was quietly axed “well over a month ago,” with the cast – led by Willa Fitzgerald and Colin Woodell – already looking for new gigs.
The Residence, on the other hand, was reportedly only just canceled. The mystery dramedy series was created by Paul William Davies and produced by Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland, the company behind such megahits as Grey’s Anatomy and Bridgerton.
However, The Residence didn’t quite land in the same way. Like Pulse, it was overshadowed by other titles, but in this case it was another Netflix release: Adolescence, which dominated the charts for weeks.
It was also an expensive show to make, starting with the all-star cast including Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, Randall Park, Susan Kelechi Watson, Ken Marino, and Jason Lee. The show features what’s said to be the largest ever re-creation of the White House, and this was coupled with extensive VFX work.
Sources suggested Netflix considered a second season with a less elaborate set, but ultimately went with the decision to cancel it altogether. The Residence peaked at number two on the global Top 10 chart with 8.8 million views.
It actually fared well with audiences and critics, earning a respective 78% and 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. The viewership figures aren’t too dissimilar from Ransom Canyon’s debut season, which earned 9.4 million views in its first week and was recently renewed for a second run.
Netflix takes a data driven approach
PexelsHowever, Dan Goman, the CEO of Ateliere Creative Technologies, elaborated on Netflix’s approach to TV show renewals following the cancelation of Kaos, which received similar acclaim to The Residence when it dropped last year.
Speaking to Newsweek, he said, “Netflix’s data-driven approach plays a key role in its rapid content decisions, including the swift cancellation of shows like Kaos.
“While star-studded casts may attract initial attention, Netflix’s reliance on proprietary data – much of which isn’t shared publicly – offers them unique insights into viewer behavior.
“This allows Netflix to make decisions that may seem abrupt but are based on deep performance metrics. These could include not only raw viewership numbers but also engagement duration, drop-off rates, and audience retention within specific demographics.”
Despite these facts, the decision to axe the two shows has caused division among subscribers. “Nooooooo not The Residence! My family and I loved that show,” said one.
Another wrote, “Damn, I thought The Residence would’ve been fun with a new setting every season that just revolved around Cupp solving outlandish mysteries. I know the viewership wasn’t great but I quite enjoyed it, sad to see it go.”
However, for the most part, viewers agree with the reaction to Pulse, with one writing, “I have a super high tolerance for sh*tty media, but Pulse was abysmal and shouldn’t have even gotten green lit.”
Another said, “Knowing the Netflix pattern, Pulse probably would have been canceled anyway but it wasn’t great to come out in the same year as The Pitt.”
2025 has been a good year for Netflix TV
NetflixAlthough the streaming service has come under fire in the past for axing beloved shows en masse, 2025 hasn’t actually been a bad year for new Netflix shows.
A number of series released this year have been renewed, including Man on the Inside, Running Point, The Four Seasons, Beauty in Black, Forever, North of North, Ransom Canyon, and Bet.
It’s also booked a number of new chapters from ongoing shows, including Bridgerton Seasons 5-6, The Diplomat Season 4, The Lincoln Lawyer Season 4, My Life with the Walter Boys Season 3, Tires Season 3, and Survival of the Thickest Season 3.
But most significant of all is that Netflix has only officially axed one series: The Recruit. So while Pulse and The Residence didn’t make the cut, Netflix’s overall track record in 2025 suggests it’s still very much invested in building a robust lineup of original series.
For more on what to watch, check out the new TV shows heading to streaming this month, the new Netflix movies, and the most binge-worthy TV shows to watch right now.
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