20th Century Fox And FX Are Pulling Some Of Their Most Beloved Shows From Netflix

By Kayla Cobb Twitter @kaylcobb
Published March 24, 2017, 12:00 p.m. ET

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It’s always a little disappointing when Netflix releases its list of expiring shows and movies. However, this month’s list feels like a punch to the gut. Some of the best and most beloved TV shows ever created are leaving the streaming service, many of which have been staples of the streaming service for years. I know that titles come and go from Netflix every month, but April’s list of expiring titles feels a bit more dramatic than most.

By my count, 29 movies will be leaving the streaming service throughout the month of April including the Superman film series and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. However, the biggest blow comes from the shows that are expiring. Entire runs of 10 shows will be leaving Netflix as well as select seasons from five different series. Who do all of these shows have in common? All of them, with the exception of House M.D., were produced by either 20th Century Fox Television or FX Productions.

Here are the nine shows completely leaving Netflix this April that were produced wholly or in part by 20th Century Fox Television or FX Productions:

And here are the five shows that have certain seasons expiring this April:

All of these shows, with the exception of Better Off Ted, the first seasons of Bones, Dollhouse, Lie to Me, The Riches, Legit, and Wilfred (U.S.), are available to stream on Hulu. However, removing these series is a weird move for Netflix. Joss Whedon’s universe of content, specifically Buffy and Firefly, were one of Netflix’s earliest and best streaming hits. Younger fans discovering these long-cancelled shows for the first time paved the way for the revival culture we now love to hate. Also, let’s not ignore the elephant in the room. This is another major blow to a streaming service that has a rapidly diminishing layer of staple series. Before if you didn’t want to wait on the next wave of Netflix Originals, you could binge great titles you may have missed like Psych, M*A*S*H, or ESPN’s 30 for 30 series. Now you can add beloved cult shows like Ally McBeal, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly, Bones as well as parts of Better Off Ted to the list of reliable binges that Netflix has axed.

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Speaking of Bones and Better Off Ted, that’s another odd aspect to this round of expiring titles. There are several single seasons that are leaving Netflix for seemingly no reason. For example, even though there are currently 10 seasons of American Dad on Netflix and nine seasons on Hulu, according to Netflix’s press email, only Season 6 will be leaving Netflix. Likewise, Season 1 of Better Off Ted is set to expire April 1, but there’s no word as to what’s going to happen to Season 2. However, the oddest titles expiration award goes to FX’s Legit. According to that same press email, Season 2 of the series is set to expire April 7 with Season 1 expiring April 10. Even if you wanted to binge the series in a rush, you’d be bound to that sneaky and unexplainable April 7 deadline.

Considering the production companies behind all these shows, it appears as if a deal Netflix had with Fox might be coming to an end. There are still some 20th Century Television shows on Netflix, including The Grinder, Cristela, Raising Hope, and Futurama. There are also several FX titles still on the platform, including It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Archer, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, American Horror Story, and Louie. For now, it’s safe to assume that these titles will remain on Netflix. However, considering how many 20th Century Fox Television and FX Productions titles are expiring soon, it’s worthwhile to keep an eye on these shows.

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Netflix's Expiring Shows And Movies: A Complete List Of What's Leaving In April

If you’re looking for a new streaming home for Fox and FX-produced content, you’re in luck. As mentioned before, many of the titles that are expiring next month are already available on Hulu as well as newer series and seasons like The Last Man on Earth and Bob’s Burgers. There’s still a way for you to stream most of your favorites, but it still hurts.

It’s unclear why so many of these titles are leaving Netflix this April. Decider has reached out to both Netflix and 20th Century Fox Television for comment, and we will update the article if and when we hear back.

Update: As of April 3, Dollhouse is still on Netflix. The press email Netflix originally sent toward the end of March said the series would be removed April 1.