Netflix cancelled its vampire series First Kill after one season. Eight episodes of the show debuted at one go, in June, almost two months back. 

Variety reported that the streamer is proud of the work done by the cast and crew of the show, but the final decision came down to viewing numbers vs cost. Notably, Netflix doesn’t make its viewing numbers public but the fate of shows rests on them. 

First Kill is based on a short story by horror author VE Schwab. It follows Calliope and Juliette, two girls who fall for each other but come from warring families. One hails from a long line of vampire hunters while the other belongs to a family of bloodsuckers. 

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Series cast member, Dominic Goodman, confirmed the cancellation saying “I have nothing but love for every single one of you!” and added, “Thank you all for taking the show in as your own, seeing you all feel seen made all the hard work and hours worth it.” 

The show received a lukewarm reception upon release and review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 58% approval rating. However, the series managed to garner a fan following in the coming weeks after its release. 

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Imani Lewis and Sarah Catherine Hook are the protagonists of First Kill with Elizabeth Mitchell, Will Swenson, Aubion Wise, Jason Robert Moore, Gracie Dzienny, Dylan McNamara, Dominic Goodman, Phillip Mullings Jr., MK xyz, Jonas Dylan Allen and Roberto Mendez rounding out the cast. 

The news of this cancellation shines a light on the difficulties of launching a teen drama series. First Kill might have made its way into some of the viewing charts but didn’t have staying power. Over at HBO Max, Gordita Chronicles has also been cancelled after the platform failed to make a dent with the series.