The first season of Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives series received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, but the positive reception was not enough to save it from cancellation. Based on the DC Comics series, the show follows two undead teenagers, Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), who reject the afterlife to form the Dead Boy Detective Agency and investigate supernatural affairs in London. Set in Netflix’s Sandman universe, Dead Boy Detectives was meant to last, but the cast and crew behind the show are still eternally grateful it got made anyway.
Jayden Revri, who plays undead detective Charles Rowland, posted on X/Twitter regarding the cancellation of Dead Boy Detectives. He thanks the community for their support and states his gratitude for the streaming series.
“Just wanted to come on here and say how forever grateful I am to Dead Boy Detectives. I met some of the most talented people I know & above all, met you all. You’re the heartbeat of this show & our legacy will live forever in this community”
Jenny the Butcher actress Briana Cuoco shared her thoughts on the cancellation on Instagram, lamenting the fact they will not be able to continue the series and fulfill its exciting potential.
“it was a wonderful and wild 3 year journey making this show and we were all so excited for the possibility of what was to come. im so proud of what we made and im so sad the lives of these characters were cut short.”
Dead Boy Detectives showrunners Steve Yockey and Beth Schwartz have also shared their own words regarding the unfortunate news. Yockey posted on his Instagram story, saying:
“Thank you to @neilhimself for believing in us. And a huge thank you to the amazing fans who loved the show, supported these characters, and are currently posting heavily online about committing arson.”
Meanwhile, Schwartz reacted on X/Twitter:
“What an amazing experience and special show. So grateful to have worked with the most talented writers, cast and crew. Thank you to our passionate and hilarious fandom. I was told the show would live on the platform forever, just like our boys. So keep on watching!”
At this point, it’s expected that Netflix will cancel shows even if audiences enjoy them, presumably due to some disappointing viewership numbers hidden in a secret vault buried somewhere deep in their headquarters (only half joking). Still, the fact Dead Boy Detectives did not get a chance to continue its story after one well-received season is surprising, especially since it took a long time for the series to come to fruition.
It’s Been a Long Journey For Dead Boy Detectives
Before Netflix eventually picked up Dead Boy Detectives as a Sandman-related series, it was originally meant to be a Doom Patrol spin-off with a completely different cast. A backdoor pilot episode titled “Dead Patrol” was released during the third season, featuring the undead detectives working to save the Doom Patrol team from the afterlife. Instead of the Netflix cast, the Doom Patrol episode had Ty Tennant as Edwin Payne Sebastian Croft as Charles Rowland, and Madalyn Horcher as Crystal Palace.
The spin-off with the original cast was meant for HBO Max (now Max), before it eventually moved to Netflix and removed its affiliation with Doom Patrol altogether. The final product ended up in the same universe as the Sandman series, an adaptation of a DC Comic created by writer Neil Gaiman, who also founded the Dead Boy Detectives. Perhaps the ghostly detective crew can show up in other Sandman-related projects on Netflix, but there is currently no indication of life for a potential Season 2.
The first and only season of
Dead Boy Detectives
is available to stream on Netflix
.