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TL;DR:

  • ‘Space Force’ canceled; Season 3 not happening on Netflix
  • ‘Space Force’ Season 2 premiered on Netflix in February 2022
  • Viewership is the likely reason behind the cancellation of ‘Space Force’
Gen. Mark Naird (Steve Carell) and F. Tony Scarapiducci (Ben Schwartz) look on in 'Space Force' Season 2.
‘Space Force’ Don Lake, Steve Carell, and Ben Schwartz | Diyah Pera/Netflix

Space Force was one of the most hyped Netflix comedies before it premiered on the streaming service on May 29, 2020. The Office creator Greg Daniels and star Steve Carell reunited to co-create the new Netflix original series inspired by the US Space Force. Overall, reviews for the series were underwhelming.

Space Force Season 2 premiered on Netflix on Feb. 18, 2022, after several significant changes. Netflix moved production to Vancouver from LA for the new season.

‘Space Force’ canceled, no season 3 on Netflix

According to a report from Deadline, Netflix canceled Space Force after two seasons on April 29, 2022.

The announcement did not come as a surprise to fans and viewers of the series. After Netflix moved production to Vancouver for the second season and made changes to the writers’ room, things weren’t looking good. Space Force Season 2 needed to exceed expectations for Netflix to renew the series for a third season, but that did not happen.

Carell starred in Space Force Season 2, alongside John Malkovich, Tawny Newsome, Jimmy O. Yang, Ben Schwartz, Diana Silvers, and Don Lake.

Why ‘Space Force’ was canceled

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Many factors go into the cancellation and renewal decisions at Netflix. According to Deadline, Space Force did not fare well on the Netflix Top 10, which tracks how many hours of specific shows and movies Netflix viewers watch daily. The show also didn’t crack the top 10 on the Nielsen streaming charts.

As the Deadline report mentioned, Netflix tracks and compares viewership vs. cost in making these renewal/cancellation decisions. In other words, shows with a higher budget need more viewership to justify Netflix ordering another season. With the star power behind this series, there’s no doubt the budget was relatively high compared to other Netflix shows. That means Space Force needed even more viewership than those other shows to make a third season happen.

Deadline reported Raising Dion, which also had its second season air on Netflix in February, was canceled earlier this week. It was slightly more successful than Space Force.

Space Force and Raising Dion join Archive 81, The Baby-Sitters Club, Gentefied, and other Netflix shows canceled in 2022.

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Bryce Olin

Section Editor - TV

I'm a TV enthusiast. If I'm not watching the next ridiculous teen drama or re-runs of The Office, I'm playing with my dogs, chasing around my toddlers, and trying to find time to read a book.

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