Before the eventual release of Wednesday in 2022, the Netflix series, Flanagan created several acclaimed horror series on Netflix, including The Haunting of Hill House (2018) and Midnight Mass (2022). Flanagan's horror works have been widely praised for their heavy reliance on character development and drama, rather than an over-dependence on jump scares and other clichés from the horror genre.

Since the mid-2010s, Netflix has focused its attention on the horror genre and has seen the release of many acclaimed horror series, including Black Mirror (2011) and Archive 81 (2022). Arguably, Netflix's most successful horror drama series is Stranger Things, created by The Duffer Brothers in 2016. animated Stranger Things spinoff currently in development. While Wednesday is set to overtake Stranger Things as Netflix's best horror series, The Midnight Club proved itself just as worthy a replacement.

The Midnight Club Was One Of Netflix's Best Teen Horror Shows After Stranger Things

The Series Was Adapted From The 1994 Novel By Christopher Pike

In 2022, Mike Flanagan produced and released the 10-episode horror series, The Midnight Club, on Netflix, inspired by the 1984 novel of the same name by Christopher Pike. The series is set at the Brightcliffe Hospice, and follows several seriously sick teenagers who establish the Midnight Club, a secret club where they meet each other at midnight and tell scary stories to help lift their spirits. One night, the group makes a vow that whoever dies first must send a sign from the afterlife; after one member dies, supernatural elements begin to haunt the group, leading to frightening consequences.

Upon release, The Midnight Club was positively received by critics, scoring an impressive 85% on cast of The Midnight Club brought something different to their characters, as also seen with the cast of Stranger Things, and their stories had the potential to be explored in a second season.

Why Netflix Canceled The Midnight Club After Just 1 Season

Mike Flanagan Left Netflix & Moved To Work On Prime Video

While the series received a positive reception from critics and viewers, and despite initial plans from Flanagan for a second installment, Netflix canceled The Midnight Club after season 1. According to What's On Netflix, The Midnight Club received 18.79 million global viewers in its first week, which is significantly lower when compared with other shows released at the same time, including The Lincoln Lawyer, which received 45.09 million viewers during its first three days on the service. A 60% drop in viewership over the following two weeks also influenced Netflix's decision not to renew The Midnight Club for season 2.

Shortly after the announcement of The Midnight Club's cancellation, it was announced that Flanagan was departing Netflix and g a new production contract with Amazon Prime Video. Following the series' cancellation, Flanagan expressed his disappointment that The Midnight Club would not receive a season 2. Flanagan posted his plan for The Midnight Club season 2, which would have further explored the characters' experiences at Brightcliffe, including their interactions with Death. Given the outline, it's disappointing that viewers of The Midnight Club missed out on season 2.

Wednesday Releasing 1 Month After The Midnight Club Overshadowed Its Future Potential

The Midnight Club Had Other Exciting Elements That Could Have Been Explored In Season 2

Just one month after The Midnight Club's debut, the mystery comedy series, Wednesday, was released on Netflix, inspired by the successful Addams Family franchise. Wednesday quickly became one of the most-viewed horror series on Netflix and was widely praised for its humor, modernized view of the Addams Family, and Jenna Ortega's captivating performance as the titular Wednesday Addams. Wednesday's instant success on Netflix quickly overshadowed other similar series, including The Midnight Club, and this arguably also played a role in the eventual cancellation of The Midnight Club after a single season.

Despite its early cancellation, The Midnight Club remains Mike Flanagan's most underrated horror show.

Despite its early cancellation, The Midnight Club remains Mike Flanagan's most underrated horror show, and had other exciting elements planned, including the exploration of death and morality. It held a similar appeal to Wednesday in that both shows focused on characters who were outcasts in society and who interact with supernatural forces to uncover the unexpected secrets of their surroundings. Flanagan's detailed plans for season two of The Midnight Club prove that the horror series had great potential to be a hit for Netflix, had it not been overshadowed by the critical success of Wednesday.

Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, What's On Netflix