“Dead Boys Detectives” was a show that aired on Netflix in late April 2024. It was canceled by the end of August, just four months later. Some minor spoilers for the show below.

I’d originally intended on writing something to the tune of “Gosh please friends, let’s all watch this show because I think you’ll enjoy it, and then we can all get another season of ghost and paranormal shenanigans!” Then I’d done two seconds of research and found the show had been canceled, so we’re going to have to change things up a bit.

“Dead Boy Detectives” is based on a comic-book series by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner. The Netflix series is set within “The Sandman” universe, which, for those unaware, is also based on a DC comic-book series from the early 90s, also written by Neil Gaiman. It’s been on my to-read list for years and was popular enough to warrant a mention in “The Big Bang Theory,” so interpret that however you want.

“Dead Boy Detectives” is about Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland, two teenage ghosts who refuse to move on to the afterlife and instead have formed a detective agency where they solve supernatural crimes. In the first episode, they exorcise a demon from a young psychic, Crystal Palace, and then travel to Port Townsend, Washington, to save a young girl scout from an evil, youth-sucking witch. An unlucky run-in with the Cat King forces them to remain in Washington, where Edwin and Charles risk discovery by forces that want them to move on to the afterlife. This is especially a problem for Edwin, because due a clerical error and a sacrifice gone wrong, he was trapped in Hell for 70 years, and would rather not go back.

“Dead Boy Detectives” was a lot of fun. It was spooky, clever, and imaginative, with each episode unfolding in a way that was as creative as it was unpredictable. It took a look at some very dark topics, like murder, damnation, and cruelty, and approached them with compassion. I was particularly moved by the storyline with Simon, Edwin’s classmate from 1916, whose vicious prank on Edwin backfired when it unleashed a literal demon that sent him and his classmates to Hell.

The friendship between Charles and Edwin was also unique and touching in a way that I thought deserved recognition. From the first episode, Edwin is described as the “brains” while Charles is the “brawn” of their organization, but it goes a little deeper than that. Edwin is catty, snobbish, and reserved, whereas Charles is friendly, compassionate, and daring. These two unlikely souls met and somehow became best friends who love and respect one another. As the series progresses, Edwin realizes that his feelings for Charles are not platonic, and he has to navigate the complexities of being in love with his best friend, while not wanting to lose that friendship. It’s a concept that would have been explored in further detail had there been a second season.

I’m disappointed by Netflix’s decision to cancel this show. I loved the characters, even the living ones, introduced in “Dead Boy Detectives,” and was excited to see what held for them in the next season. It was a universe that held a lot of potential for future stories. We may see some kind of acknowledgment or wrap-up in the second season of “The Sandman,” but given Netflix’s proclivity towards canceling any show that doesn’t meet their standard for shareholder value, who’s to say how long “The Sandman” even has before it bites the dust?

“Dead Boy Detectives” was well-received by critics and enjoyed by the people who watched it, but had almost no time to get off the ground before Netflix pulled the plug. It doesn’t help that the show had very little marketing, and I only knew it existed once it randomly popped up in my recommendations (thank you, Netflix algorithms?). I could easily see “Dead Boy Detectives” becoming a cult classic and favorite with certain audiences, but I don’t know if they’ll even have the chance to watch this show or if they’ll want to, knowing that it’s been canceled after only eight episodes.

This is far from the first show Netflix canceled before its time. I’m still upset that “The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell” only has six episodes, even though I and other people watch it every October, almost six years after it debuted. Some shows need additional time to gain traction with the right audience, and canceling them for “underperforming,” even if they’re very popular with select audiences, feels misguided.

It’s difficult not to give in to cynicism when creativity is so clearly gatekept by whoever is holding the purse strings. With better marketing, this show may have found the right audience sooner, and it would have had a chance at a second season. But after news of this cancellation, as well as Netflix’s continued unwillingness to invest in its properties if they’re not “Bridgerton” or “Stranger Things,” has left me feeling somewhat jaded about the current state of entertainment. At least on Netflix.

In a few weeks, I’ll find a new show that will become the center of my existence, and I’ll get over the premature death of “Dead Boy Detectives.” Luckily the show’s first season is relatively self-contained, almost as if the writers knew it would be canceled before its time, so I still recommend you give it a watch.