Netflix cancels Baz Luhrmann's The Get Down after just one series
A big-name director does not a good show make
Baz Luhrmann’s musical period piece The Get Down has been cancelled after only one 11-episode season.
Set in the 1970s, the show tracked the beginnings of hip-hop and r&b in the Bronx, New York.
While Netflix keep its metrics pretty close to its chest, choosing only to inform us of its impressive, if somewhat horrifying successes, it is quite likely that the show’s audience did not reflect its gargantuan budget of $120 million.
When the first half of the season arrived in August last year, it was met with lukewarm reactions from the press. And all may not have been right behind the scenes. Midway through the production of the first season, the original showrunner Shawn Ryan departed the show, and later called it “one of the odder experiences” he has had in his TV career.
In a note on Facebook addressing the shows demise, Luhrmann thanked fans for their dedication throughout its run, and announced that he will be turning his focus to film once again:
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“All sorts of things have been thrown around for the future... even a stage show (can you imagine that? I can, concert version anyone? Next summer? Just saying.) But the simple truth is, I make movies. And the thing with movies is, that when you direct them, there can be nothing else in your life. Since The Get Down stopped, I have actually been spending the last few months preparing my new cinematic work…”
Let’s hope that another Romeo & Juliet or Moulin Rouge-style extravaganza is on the way.
