Lockwood & Co. was cut short by Netflix execs who did not appreciate the potential of the franchise, but fans could help it find life at a new home.
What Is It?
This series is based on the books by Jonathan Stroud and takes place in an alternate version of present-day Britain threatened by deadly ghosts. It follows three teens who are among the young people recruited to hunt the supernatural beings that cannot be seen by adults.
Aired: Netflix, 2023, 1 Season Totaling 8 Episodes
Starring: Ruby Stokes, Cameron Chapman, Ali Hadji-Heshmati
Created By: Joe Cornish
Why Was It Cancelled?
This supernatural drama had a three-week run in the charts when it premiered, hitting the Number 1 slot in its second week, quite impressive considering it is not a well-known property and received very little promotion. Over a six-month period from January to June 2023 it totaled 114 million hours viewed and ranked in the Top 100 Netflix shows. But that was apparently not enough to satisfy the completion rate that Netflix execs are looking for which tracks the number of viewers that complete the current season within a set amount of time. The show did get very high marks from critics and viewers, currently holding a 94% Fresh Rating and 94% Audience Score at Rotten Tomatoes. But it ended up suffering the same fate as other Netflix originals such as Warrior Nun, The Midnight Club, and The Imperfects which were cancelled after spending a similar amount of time in the charts.
The first season covered Books 1 & 2 from Jonathan Stroud’s series, and showrunner Joe Cornish indicated in an interview that he wanted to cover all five books. Sadly, the TV show was cut short before that happened, but it developed a notable fanbase during its short run. They quickly came together and staged multiple campaigns across the social media sites to save the show and possibly get it moved to a new venue. But as of this writing, Lockwood & Co remains cancelled.
Can It Be Saved?
Netflix usually holds the licensing rights to its originals for a minimum of two years, so it is possible that the property could break away from the streamer as soon as early 2025. The show premiered in January 2023, so if Netflix only worked out a two-year deal, Lockwood & Co. could be available to move to a different venue within a couple of months. There might be some fine print in their holding things up, but fans should certainly look at the current timeframe as an opportunity to reignite interest in the show.
If they were to stage watch parties and get it back into the Netflix Top 10, that could draw the interest of other venues that might consider picking it up. Along with that, they should get the show trending on social media over the next couple of months to bring it more attention. Considering the young age of the actors, there would certainly be a need to get this one back into production soon before they outgrow their roles. And fans of Lockwood & Co. have shown resilience and a dedication to the show, so they could surely give it a boost with their efforts. If Joe Cornish and/or the actors could be brought onboard to lend their support, that would help out the cause as well. The clock is ticking on this one, but there are more stories to tell and a loyal fanbase, so a second season and possibly more could still happen.
Where Can You Watch It?
The show is still streaming on Netflix, but that could change as soon as January 2025 if the licensing agreement expires. So now is the best time to bring attention to Lockwood & Co. while it is still readily available for viewing.
Did you watch Lockwood & Co. and would you support fan efforts to save the show? Chime in below in the comments.
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Thank you for highlighting Lockwood and Co, a show I would DEARLY love to see more seasons of!
Couple of corrections for you – Rotten tomatoes score is currently 94 & 94, and the three lead actors are missing from your cast list
Feel free to delete this if you update the article 😎
My bad on the cast listing. Fixed now.
Thank you for the support and spotlight!
Actually, LockNation HAS been trending continuously for nearly 590 days now and has also organised a couple of watch parties and plenty of other things like attending conventions, but also driving online engagement. The SaveLockwoodAndCo-social media accounts have tons of info on that.
There’s a petition to save the show as well: https://www.change.org/p/save-lockwood-co?
We also have the support of Joe Cornish, the Strouds and several actors who attended fan meet ups, so we like to think if there wasn’t a chance of the show being saved, they’d have told us.😉🤞
Just wondering though: is there a reason you mentioned a number of supporting actors in the “starring” section, but not the actual main cast?🤔
My bad on the cast listing. Fixed now.