The OA was cut short by Netflix after two seasons in 2019, but now may be the time for fans to resume efforts to save the show.
What Is It?
The OA is a sci fi mystery that follows a young woman who returns after having disappeared seven years prior and who recruits five strangers to assist her with a secret mission. She had been blind but she has since regained her sight, though she won’t reveal how. She needs the help of the others to save additional people who have gone missing. It was created by and stars Brit Marling who had previously written and starred in the award-winning sci fi film Another Earth.
Aired: Netflix, 2016-19, 2 Seasons Totaling 16 Episodes
Starring: Brit Marling, Emory Cohen, Scott Wilson, Phyllis Smith, Alice Krige
Created By: Brit Marling, Zal Batmanglij
Why Was It Cancelled?
This show was cancelled after its second season at a time that Netflix was typically allowing its originals to go for three to four seasons and wrap up their storylines. The OA premiered on the streaming service with little fanfare, but slowly built up a following through good word-of-mouth, especially when it returned for its second season. The show had a five-season arc planned out, but Netflix execs decided to cancel it after its second year, leaving a significant part of its story untold. No official viewing numbers for the show have been revealed and the streamer never gave a specific reason for the cancellation. Series regular Jason Isaacs claimed that it was not viewership that killed the show:
Netflix needs to build subscribers and they make their decisions on a bunch of other things, which are not to do with the number of people watching, more to do with how many people they can get to sign up. I know the Netflix execs who made the decision to cancel it felt equally sad because they had five seasons mapped out and the show has this rabid committed fanbase. Those people felt very upset. I wouldn’t want to be sitting in the Netflix executive chairs!
The OA was well-received by critics and fans and currently holds an overall 84% Fresh Ratings and a 84% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes. There were theories the cancellation was fake and that it was part of a publicity stunt worked in with the conspiracy themes of the show. But those proved not to be the case.
How Did Fans Respond?
Upon the cancellation announcement, fans immediately took up a call to action to save the show. Netflix had cancelled the sci fi series Sense8 two years prior after two seasons, and a raucous fan campaign led to a two-hour finale movie for the show. Fans of The OA hoped for at least the same and got the show trending on social media while also raising money to put up a billboard in Times Square lobbying for the show to continue. They also staged a flashmob and even a hunger strike to show their support for the cancelled series. Creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij had conversations with Netflix about a final movie, but since the original plan was for the show run over five seasons, the creators did not believe that a two-hour wrap would do justice to the story. Marling had the following to say to fans in an Instagram post:
Your words and images move us deeply. Not because the show must continue, but because for some people its unexpected cancellation begs larger questions about the role of storytelling and its fate inside late capitalism’s push toward consolidation and economies of scale.
Fans continued to lobby for the show, staging one of the more active campaigns for a cancelled series, but Netflix could not be swayed to bring it back for a third season. And since the streamer owned the series, there was little hope that it could switch to a different venue.
Can It Be Revived?
If there is a chance for the story of The OA to continue, now is the time for fans to make another push. Netflix usually retains the rights to its originals for two years after the last new airing. Season 2 premiered in March 2019, so the two-year timeframe should have passed and the rights have possibly reverted back to the production company or the creators. Fans should reach out to Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij to verify if the show is now available to move to a new venue, and if so resume efforts to get it revived. There is a built-in following for this show and if it were to switch to another streamer that could lead to a surge in subscriptions. Or perhaps it could make the jump to one of the linear channels (please not cancellation-happy Syfy) looking to bolster their scripted programming. The fans made quite an effort to save this show the first time around, and it has only been a little over two years since it last aired new episodes (the hiatus between Seasons 1 and 2 was over two years as well). This is a much-loved property with a story that many would like to see finished, and now may be the perfect time to ramp up efforts to save it once again.
Did you watch The OA and would you support fan efforts to bring it back? Chime in below in the comments.
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My wife and I just saw The OA and thought it was great supernatural Sci-Fi. I haven’t seen much better lately. Like an adult Stranger Things. I’m hoping there is an effort to revive it on another network if Netflix will not continue it.
I am a bit late to the party here, I just watch The OA and thought it was great, weird, interesting, and I though the end of the Second Part was the end, even though I was like that is not really an end. Now I find out it should be more, and am very upset to find out such a good show was cancelled. I would really like to know how it goes forward, give me a book or something, I cant stop in the middle of a story. Brit Marling was fantastic in this I thought as well as many of the other actors like HAP, Steve, and Karim. Bring it back or continue in some fashion at least.
Omg we want another season…its dam cruel to leave us hanginf..I was shocked when i saw the credits rolling by..I couldnt believe It..And its not like its got élaborate props.or expensive time period backgrounds..just alot of rooms and computer created backdrops..awsome storyline..great writers and awsome actors..ill watch it no mater who it streams thru..
Exactly!!!
Omg..bring it back..id even sit thru a few ADDS (and thats a huge “SACRIFICE” on my part) just to see what happens NEXT..Rarely have i hated a character such as HAP..but still have a silver of hope that in some small way he might find redemption..jesus you guys dont do this to us..we are YOUR viewers..what we want MUST mean something to you..Its not to late..
Please bring back OA
I feel so robbed that they didn’t finish the story. It was so good I watched both seasons in less than 24 hours.
I wonder if Disney would consider the picking it up for streaming on Disney+?
We want it back Demand it!!!
I would watch a new season with whatever provider (that’s all they want to know).
Bring back the OA. Maybe if we all cancelled our Netflix subscription that mght get their attention.
I watched the first 2 seasons of OA and would like to have it come back after Netflix canceled it. I think it was a good show and don’t understand why it was canceled.
This is one of the best sci-fi series ever issued. Definitely has to go on!
I love the show. I have watched all the makers back catalogs because they have a unique view and great characters.
Donna,
I’ve been involved with the #SaveTheOA campaign since the cancellation. There was recently a lot of hype around a renewal as Zal was playing some cryptic kind of scavenger hunt on instagram. He left clues and while I’m not sure if anyone ever figured it out, it left many of us hopeful that some announcement is coming. The best place to join the campaign is likely The OA subreddit. Twitter, Instagram and Facebook each have their own groups. There’s even a #SaveTheOA discord that the most devoted of us used to plan events, strategies and create a #SaveTheOA merchandise store. So I’d suggest going to reddit or twitter to join the movement.
If you could provide a quick rundown of current activities to save the show, we would be happy to put something up on the site. You can email us at cancelledscifi@gmail.com. Have you heard any confirmation on Netflix’s rights to the show expiring?
Josh,
Whats the Discord?
#SaveTheOA!!!
I only found this Show recently and I must say I love it. But was very disappointed when I heard it was cancelled…. I hate when that happens. People pay good money to these sreaming Networks and a lot of People pay good money for DVD’S only for the Shows to get Cancelled. It’s criminal the fact that they can do this. After People actually pay to watch it…..
When I started watching OA I never realized how attached I’d become to the characters of this amazing series! I’ve watched almost every series I can get my hands on and this one deserves all the fanfare it’s gotten more than most…by far!! It’s the kind of story that slowly gets you caught up in that world before you realize you are. That’s a sign of phenomenal story telling, Please some streaming network pick this great series up!
Would love the story to continue. Great show all round. Characters stay with you forever. I loved Fringe and this show is just as good.
Netflix used to be pretty great in the beginning. now it’s just constant cancellations and now a dating show where people where insane monster costumes?
Whoever is running the show over there should be fired.
This show would be perfect for Apple TV+ or HBO… didn’t like much of season 1, but it was still fascinating… season 2 was magnificent, some of the best filmmaking I’ve ever seen.
I think maybe Hulu or Peacock TV should pick up The OA I wouldn’t be so sure about HBO Max cause it always freezes up when either a movie or a series is playing.
Please provide a link(s) to any efforts to revive the show that may result from this post! Our family would LOVE to help save the show, as we were huge fans of Brit and all the superb actors.
Oh, yes please! I would love to see another series. There are so many unanswered questions.