One of Showtime’s most beloved series will be exiting Netflix in September. When the streamer unveiled its full list of titles coming and going in September 2021, Penny Dreadful, widely regarded as one of Showtime’s best original series, was among the outgoing titles. All three seasons, totaling 27 episodes, will exit Netflix on Thursday, Sept. 16. You can see the full list of exiting titles by clicking here.
Although a reason for the show’s exit has not been confirmed, What’s On Netflix suggests it ultimately boils down to an expiring license agreement. The third and final season of the John Logan-created the Victorian horror series arrived on the platform back on Sept. 17, 2016. With the show set to leave Netflix on Sept. 16, it appears as though the streamer had a 5-year agreement allowing it to exclusively host the show on its platform.
Penny Dreadful originally premiered on Showtime back in April 2014. The series was set in 1891 and borrowed borrows characters from many public domain horror and supernatural characters. This included Dorian Gray, Mina Harker, Count Dracula, Victor Frankenstein, Henry Jekyll and more. It starred Timothy Dalton, Eva Green, Josh Hartnett, Reeve Carney, Billie Piper, and more. The series was met with critical acclaim and currently boasts a 91% fresh tomatometer rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 90% approval rating from the audience. However, after three seasons, Penny Dreadful ended its run, shocking fans when the Season 3 finale ended with the words “The End” on the screen. Logan later revealed he realized during Season 2 the series would end with Season 3.
“This is a show about Vanessa Ives and her struggle with faith — how one woman grapples with God and the devil. Midway through the second season, when we were filming it —so about two years ago— I realized where we were heading,” he told Variety. “A woman who loses her faith in the second season, she has to grasp her way back. What that would take? To me, that was an apotheosis — she would find peace finally with God. I realized that’s where the show was heading, and so I talked to Eva about it and then I talked to David.”
Although Penny Dreadful is exiting Netflix, it doesn’t necessarily mean the show won’t be available for streaming elsewhere. While no new streaming home has yet been announced, it’s almost guaranteed that Penny Dreadful will continue streaming on Showtime, though it is unclear what streaming platform it will ultimately end up on. Although Paramount+ could be the default, Amazon Prime Video also seems a likely contender given that Amazon holds the rights to the sequel series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. Stay tuned to PopCulture for the latest streaming news!