Viewers disappointed with Netflixthe cancellation of an acclaimed 2-year-old horror show should see a new Stephen Kingapproved series. Although Netflix is known for having a huge catalog of acclaimed horror shows, many of those that made it to the streaming platform never managed to reach their natural conclusion. One of these horror shows, adapted from a podcast, debuted on the streaming giant in the first month of 2022.
With James Wan as one of its executive producers, the series has performed incredibly well among critics and still boasts a Rotten Tomatoes score of 87%. However, despite receiving critical praise and ending the first season on an ambiguous note, the Netflix show was abruptly canceled. Many viewers even complained about Netflix’s decision to end the series, but nothing changed the result. Fortunately, two years after the show’s release, another similar series is now available for streaming.
Teacup and Archive 81 are acclaimed horror shows produced by James Wan
Before Teacup, Archive 81 was the last horror show produced by Wan
Created by Ian McCulloch, Peacock’s new horror show Cup of tea is loosely based on the novel Sting by Robert R. McCammon. James Wan serves as executive producer, and the show has a decent Rotten Tomatoes score of 79%. Stephen King also recently gave the series his seal of approval by calling him “strange, scary, claustrophobic and creepy.” The King of Horror even compared it to other renowned shows like Lost and Ofclaiming that viewers who loved both series would enjoy Teacup. Here’s your full review of the Peacock series:
While Stephen King compared the show to Of and LostIt’s hard not to notice how Cup of tea shares many similarities with Netflix File 81. Based on a podcast series of the same name, File 81 also had James Wan as one of its executive producers. As Cup of teawas also a critical success. Two of its episodes were also directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, who have received immense praise for their independent horror films and recent work on various MCU projects. Unfortunately, despite showing immense potential, File 81 was canceled by Netflix after the first season.
Why Netflix Canceled The File 81 After Just 1 Season
The show didn’t meet Netflix’s expectations
According to reports (via Small screen), File 81 it was initially about to be renewed. An anonymous source revealed that the show’s creators were also just days away from entering pre-production and even their scripts were being worked on. However, things took a 360º turn when it came to File 81 season 2 budget. After considering the overall outlook for the show after the first season, Netflix executives didn’t think it attracted enough new viewers.
The source also said that for a show made on a relatively tight budget, File 81 did well on Netflix. However, despite its decent overall reviews and positive critical reception, it didn’t fall into Netflix’s desired metrics for renewal. While the source didn’t delve into the specifics of the metrics, they did reveal that Netflix has “cutoff points“that determine the fate of a program. Their insights suggest that the proposed budget for File 81 the second season was not in line with what Netflix was willing to offer. Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij OA it was also canceled after season 2 for similar reasons.
How Teacup’s Horror Themes and Tropes Compare to File 81
The two shows perfectly combine horror with science fiction
To begin with, both Cup of tea and File 81 instill a feeling of claustrophobia in spectators, taking place mainly in isolated environments. In their initial arcs, the two present a series of inexplicable events before gradually delving into hard science fiction. After addressing the viewer’s fear of the unknown for almost the entire first half, both shows finally begin to offer insights into what’s going on, revealing the origins of their central mysterious threats. Both shows also bring a human element to their storytelling, focusing on familiar themes involving trust and sacrifice.
|
Show |
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score |
Rotten Tomatoes audience score |
|
Cup of tea |
79% |
73% |
|
File 81 |
87% |
74% |
However, despite the many similarities, Cup of tea and File 81 they are unique in their own way. Cup of tea embraces terror and paranoia by introducing a mysterious masked man whose arrival alters the lives of the main characters. It becomes scarier and more intriguing as the characters try to figure out the rules of the strange situation they find themselves in. File 81The terrors of seem more reminiscent of films like The Ring because the show uses technology as a vehicle to highlight the strange connections between the past and present.