Netflix is ​​notorious for canceling shows early in their run. Sometimes that means a show might not make it through several seasons. Truth be told, many originals on the streamer are lucky to make it to three seasons. Unfortunately, not infrequently, these shows become one and done. Such was the case with Dead Boy Detectives, a TV show set in one of the weirder corners of the DC universe. Despite those DC connections, it only lasted one season. But why?

Dead Boy Detectives was a spin-off from the Doom Patrol universe, but it was also part of Netflix's The Sandman universe. The Doom Patrol has always had a strange place in the DC Universeand eventually spawned a spin-off that took place in a different universe. Either way, the series came at a time when DC was in flux, trying to get its ducks in a row on both the big and small screens.

Initially, "Dead Boy Detectives" was in development at HBO Max before rebranding as just Max. As things began to change behind the scenes, the show was eventually sold to Netflix, as part of a growing universe of shows based on the works of writer Neil Gaiman. It made sense on paper. Unfortunately, once the show arrived, it didn't turn out to be true.

Diversity announced in August of this year that Dead Boy Detectives had been canceled after just one season by Netflix. It didn't take long for the authorities to make a decision either, as the show premiered in April. As it noted at the time, the show climbed to second place on Netflix's most-watched TV charts, with 3.1 million views in its first three days. Unfortunately, it dropped out of the top ten charts entirely by the end of its third week. That was undoubtedly the biggest factor at play in the early death.

Dead Boy Detectives centers on Edwin Payne (George Rexstru) and Charles Rowland (Jaden Revere), the "brains" and "body" of the Dead Boy Detectives agency. The teenagers were born decades apart and found each other in death, becoming best friends who happen to be ghosts. They now solve mysteries with the help of psychic Crystal (Cassius Nelson) and her friend Nico (Yu Kitamura).

The series was developed for television by Steve Yockey, who serves as co-showrunner along with Beth Schwartz. TV mega-producer Greg Berlanti, one of the main architects of The CW's Arrowversewas also on board. Unfortunately for Yockey and team, Dead Boy Detectives had a rough road through development, starting out as a backdoor pilot in Doom Patrol before being picked up for HBO Max and eventually sold to Netflix.

Another problem is that the show probably didn't come cheap. Gaiman has explained it before A second season of The Sandman might not happen because the show was so expensive. That show did pick up, but it also had a lot more viewership. For Netflix, it's all about how much of their subscriber base's attention a show gets, while weighing that against the cost of producing said show. "Dead Boy Detectives" clearly didn't clear that tape.

The other thing to consider is that Gaiman was accused of sexual misconduct earlier this year in July. Various productions based on the author's works were later stopped, on The Guardian. That may have also influenced Netflix's decision. While critics largely liked the show, it wasn't enough to overpower everything else in the game.

Dead Boy Detectives is streaming now on Netflix.