Why did Netflix cancel Spinning Out? Details explored

Modified Jul 01, 2024 16:08 GMT

Kaya Scodelario seen in a still from Spinning Out (Image via Netflix, Spinning Out trailer, 0:34)

The first season of the drama series Spinning Out premiered on Netflix on January 1, 2020. The show was created by Samantha Stratton and executive produced by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum, Armand Leo, Lance Samuels, Lara Olsen, and Stratton, with others. However, it was canceled after its first season, which featured 10 episodes.

Spinning Out centered around a former single ice skater Kat Baker (Kaya Scodelario), who tries to restart her career as a pairs skater with Justin Davis (Evan Roderick). While trying to get her career back on track, she secretly deals with a debilitating mental illness that threatens to unravel her life and dreams.

The show's synopsis, as per Netflix, reads as follows:

"Following a traumatic head injury, a former figure-skating champion struggles to regain her footing in life- until she meets the right partner."

Netflix canceled the series in February 2020, as the show's first season did not receive a high enough viewership to warrant its renewal for a second season.

The reason behind Netflix's decision to cancel Spinning Out after season 1

An image taken from the Netflix drama Spinning Out (Image via Netflix, Spinning Out trailer, 0:58)

Netflix announced its decision to cancel the figure skating drama on February 3, 2020, nearly a month after its premiere. This was in line with the streaming platform's policy of evaluating a new show's viewership over 30 days before deciding to renew it.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series received a Tomatometer (based on critics' reviews) score of 59% and an audience score of 91%. This means that Spinning Out was more appreciated by audiences than critics. Netflix likely took this into consideration while making their decision.

Nevertheless, the series had earned a devoted fan base, who rallied for the show's second installment. Fans started several campaigns and even petitioned on Change.org for the show's renewal, albeit without success.

Lastly, the show's fans felt disappointed that the series ended with a huge cliffhanger, leaving many of its storylines incomplete and character arcs without a definitive ending. Although Spinning Out will not be picked up by Netflix again, there is always a slim chance that the show could be picked up by another network or streaming platform in the future.

Plot Summary

Spinning Out chronicles the life and struggles of Kat Baker, a competitive ice figure skater, who dreams of competing at the Olympic games. After suffering a head injury while performing as a single skater, Kat decides to switch things up by teaming up with a partner for pairs skating.

Kat and her figure skating partner Justin Davis get off to a rocky start but learn to work together as the show progresses.

But, Kat's ambitions are thwarted by her struggles with bipolar disorder. She also has to contend with her highly disapproving mother Carol, who was once a competitive figure skater herself and struggles with the same mental illness as her. The series deals with Kat learning to navigate the challenges in her personal and professional life without spinning out of control.