Netflix's Altered Carbon, the streaming service's best cyberpunk series yet, was cancelled after two seasons, highlighting an issue shared by many other cyberpunk shows with complicated internal worlds and big budgets.

The $30 million toe in the water

The show, based on the novel of the same name by author Richard K. morgan, was set 360 years into the future in a world where one person's consciousness could be transferred into a new body for a price.

With a budget reportedly in the tens of millions, the show's cancellation raises questions about the viability of big-budget sci-fi shows on streaming platforms.

Why 4 ,000 unsold units became the prize

While Netflix has a lot of great sci-fi shows in its back catalog, the streaming service's best cyberpunk series deserved to last for more than a mere two seasons.

The streaming service's sci-fi output struggles to beat that of its competitors, but it isn't due to a lack of compelling projects in the genre.

Instead, it is the streaming service's axe-happy cancellation policy that holds its sci-fi shows back from greatness, outside a few exceptions like Black Mirror.

An echo of Sydney's 2024 institutional buy-up

Netflix's Altered Carbon is not the only sci-fi show to fall victim to the streaming service's cancellation policy.

Other shows, such as The 100 and Colony, have also been cancelled after just a few seasons, leaving fans wondering what could have been.

The trend raises questions about the sustainability of big-budget sci-fi shows on streaming platforms, and whether they are worth the investment.

Who is the unnamed buyer?

One of the biggest unanswered questions surrounding the cancellation of Altered Carbon is who was behind the decision to axe the show .

Was it a financial decision, or was it a creative one?

Only Netflix knows for sure, but the lack of transparency surrounding the cancellaiton has left fans feeling frustrated and disappointed.