Netflix Axes Gillian Anderson’s Hit Western The Abandons After 100 Million Viewing Hours

Well, that didn't last long. Less than two months after it dropped, Netflix has already decided to pull the plug on The Abandons. If you blinked, you might've missed it—though, honestly, with these numbers, maybe you didn't.

Star Power Meets Sudden Death

On paper, The Abandons had the kind of pedigree that usually gets at least a couple seasons: Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey headlining, and Kurt Sutter (yep, Sons of Anarchy's own chaos maestro) running the show. The setup? Headey plays Fiona Nolan, scrapping her way across 1850s America, running headfirst into the powerful Van Ness clan, with Anderson chewing up scenery as their cold-blooded matriarch, Constance. Gritty Western vibes, family feuds, period drama—all the stuff people supposedly binge by the bucketload.

So what went wrong? Despite a splashy launch and names people recognize, the show just did not connect. We're talking low numbers with critics and viewers alike: a 30% splat with reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes, and even fans couldn't muster more than 52% approval. That kind of feedback is never a great omen, no matter how many Emmy winners you stack in your cast.

Behind the Scenes Drama (Because of Course)

Turns out, things were bumpy even before anyone saw the finished product. Kurt Sutter bailed on the project just weeks before filming wrapped—reportedly over 'creative differences,' which covers a multitude of sins. Deadline says Netflix wasn't exactly thrilled by his 100-minute cut of the first episode, and, well, when the boss side-eyes your pilot, you know the clock's ticking.

Wait, People Actually Watched?

Here’s the twist: Netflix claimed the show pulled in close to 100 million hours watched and almost 20 million viewers in its first month. Not exactly a flop, at least by the streamer’s own math. And yet The Abandons barely eked out a spot in the top 50 for Netflix’s most-viewed shows of 2025. So, lots of people gave it a shot, but not many actually, you know, liked it.

Meanwhile, at Netflix HQ...

• Netflix is inching closer to snapping up Warner Bros, but Co-CEO Ted Sarandos says they’ll keep the 45-day window for movies to hit theaters first—so don’t expect that part to change.
• The platform also dropped its 2026 lineup of Korean shows and movies. One to watch: Boyfriend on Demand, featuring Blackpink's Jisoo, which will surely draw global eyeballs (just not the cowboy kind).

If you want to see what is sticking around for more than five minutes, check out what’s new on Netflix next month—or just revisit our picks for the streamer’s actual best shows. Clearly, it’s a wild world out there for new series, and even heavy hitters can end up in the boneyard in record time.