It’s that time again. Every month, Netflix changes things up, adding and subtracting content, usually to our simultaneous delight and chagrin. While it’s always amazing to get our hands on oodles of new TV shows and movies (we’re dying to binge Iron Fist ! Get here already!), it’s always a bummer to say goodbye to old favorites, or, worse, to shows we never even got the chance to get to know.
With the coming of March, many BBC favorites will be dropped from the streaming service’s library (including the UK version of The Office, which was technically supposed to leave in February). Other favorites that will all be leaving Netflix by mid-month include the John Lithgow-led ’90s comedy classic, 3rd Rock from the Sun, John Barrowman’s cult favorite Torchwood, and all six seasons of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. So, don’t say we didn’t warn you: here are the 15 Best TV Shows Leaving Netflix In March.
15. The Office (UK)
We love the American remake, featuring Steve Carell in the role that made him a household name, but we also love the original British version just as much. Starring Ricky Gervais as the irascible David Brent (in the Michael Scott role) and Martin Freeman as the sweet salesman Tim Canterbury (aka the John Krasinski role), the show only aired 12 half-hour episodes in total, as well as a pair of 45-minute-long Christmas specials.
The show’s mockumentary style was extraordinarily influential (see: its remake, Parks and Recreation, and Modern Family, for starters), and coupled with its cringe-worthy humor, The Office revolutionized the workplace comedy. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the original version of the show is that it established many of the same relationships and ideas about mundane jobs the American version did in two seasons and 14 episodes, instead of nine seasons and 188 episodes. One quick binge would cover both series one and two, which are leaving Netflix March 1st.
14. The Elephant Princess
This Australian series is centered on Alex Wilson, a typical teenage girl growing up in Melbourne. Things change drastically for Alex when, on her 16th birthday, a mystical young man shows up with an elephant named Anala with a pesky tendency of disappearing every once and awhile. He tells Alex that her destiny isn’t hanging in Melbourne, but, rather, she is meant to travel to a land called Manjipoor, where she is heir to the throne. He also tells her she must learn to harness her magical abilities — of which she isn’t even completely aware of, and doesn’t understand.
Played with spirit and pluck by Emily Robins, Alex’s journey is both literal and metaphorical, and the show is great fun to watch at times, particularly in the moments where Alex learns how to appropriately utilize her magic. Scenes where she does battle with her primary antagonist – her male cousin, Vashan, who wants to rule Manjipoor himself – are highlights of the series as well. Both seasons will be leaving March 10th, and are worth checking out for those who love fantasy/magic.
13. Dragon Tales
Cartoon fans, or those who like to wax nostalgic, may miss this whimsical kids’ series, which is slated to stop streaming in the very near future. One of the cuter cartoons to come around in the past few decades, every episode of Dragon Tales is both a morality lesson and a charming mini-fantasy adventure. The series centers around the adventures of Emmy and Max, a brother and sister duo who are capable of traveling to a distant land inhabited by jovial, talking dragons. Instead of taking a bus or riding a magic carpet, however, Max and Emmy use their magic dragon scale, recite a rhyme, and get transported instantly.
The dragons themselves are fun and hilarious, the musical numbers will elicit smiles, and the show originally aired on PBS, so there’s a definite educational element to each episode, a moral or important lesson that’s usually quite obvious, but not condescending. All 93 episodes (three seasons) will be leaving the streaming service on March 1st.
12. Monarch of the Glen
This comedy/drama out of the UK remains wildly popular in England, as well as in Australia and Scotland, among others. The show followed the adventures of Archie MacDonald for the first five series, and his long lost brother Paul for the final two. We meet Archie first, who’s running a restaurant in London with his girlfriend, until one day, he gets a call from his family home in Scotland saying his father has passed away. When he returns to Scotland, he learns that his dad is alive and well, and tales of his demise were told only to get Archie to come home.
Apparently, even though Archie’s father is fine, he has inherited his significant-sized estate, as well as its castle, Glenbogle. Trouble is, Glenbogle is harboring all kinds of debts and problems, and it’s Archie who is called upon to fix everything. Archie’s long lost brother Paul shows up in series four, and eventually takes over the estate after Archie marries and moves away. The show feels like Downton Abbey meets Mr. Belvidere, with moments of hilarity weaved throughout some serious subjects. All seven series will be leaving Netflix on March 1st.
11. The Vicar of Dibley
This BBC sitcom was a critical and commercial success in the mid-late ’90s (it ran from 1994-98, and continued to air numerous Christmas specials up until 2007). Starring Dawn French as the titular vicar Geraldine Granger, the show is a classic fish out of water tale. Geraldine becomes vicar to a tiny village called Dibley after their former 100+ year-old vicar passes away. The denizens of Dibley resist her at first, because she has a wicked sense of humor, loves loud rock music, and also, you know, she’s female.
The show is consistently thoughtful and bitingly funny, and its satirical jabs at what appropriate gender roles are resonate long after you’re done watching. The show has plenty of celebrity fans, including Sting and Trudie Styler, who both guest-starred in the 2007 Christmas special, in which Geraldine takes part in the reality show Celebrity Non-Entity Wife Swap, where she gets to live with Sting for a week. Fans of Britcoms may want to get to binge-watching in a hurry, because series 1-3 and the additional Christmas specials are all leaving on March 1st.
10. Victoria
Victoria stars Doctor Who’s Jenna Coleman, who left the good Doctor’s side to star as the 18-year-old queen who takes the throne after the death of her uncle, King William. Originally airing in the fall of 2016 (in Downton Abbey’s former time slot), the show feels timely despite being set in 1837, largely because it’s about a woman who is new to politics trying to navigate a male-dominated realm.
Coleman plays Victoria with equal amounts naiveté and feistiness. While those around her plot to find her a husband who will temper her whimsical nature (read: control her), Victoria plows forward with a fierceness and determination that is both enjoyable and rewarding to watch. While the series does feel timely, it’s also rooted in the past, and issues like dying in childbirth and arranged marriages are very much at the forefront of the show. Victoria was renewed for a second season, which will air on PBS sometime in 2017. Its only season so far will be available on Netflix until March 3rd.
9. Robin Hood
Another BBC series leaving in March is this version of the classic tale of the outlaw hero with a penchant for stealing from the wealthy and redistributing his ill-gotten gains to those in need. Starring Jonas Armstrong as Robin, who returns to England after a five-year battle in the Crusades, and Richard Armitage (before his days as Thorin Oakenshield or Hannibal’s terrifyingly creepy Red Dragon) as the evil Sir Guy of Gisborne, the series was definitely a bit darker than some of the more recent retellings of this story. (Both the Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner versions come to mind; we’re still shaky on the latest planned big screen adventure.)
The series ran for three years (2006-2009), and took an extremely dark turn when (spoiler alert) Armitage’s Gisborne kills Robin’s love interest, Lady Marian, devastating the show’s characters and fans in one fell swoop. Series three featured the introduction of Supergirl’s David Harewood as Tuck, but despite his chemistry with Armstrong, the show ended after the third series. All episodes will leave Netflix on March 1st.
8. Survivors
This post-apocalyptic sci-fi series has a small but passionate fan following. Set in contemporary times, the show followed the survivors of the “European flu,” which has just killed off about 90% of the world’s population. The survivors, led by Abby Grant, an Everywoman who refuses to stop searching for her son, are a diverse group of people from varying social statuses. Those who made it out of the flu plague alive realize they have to band together, and their most difficult tests come when they meet other groups of people, some of whom are doing more than just trying to survive. Think The Walking Dead minus the zombies, with several mini-Governors or Negan’s popping up here and there.
The supporting cast is solid (Phillip Rhys, who is perhaps best known for his role as the duped fiancé of a terrorist, Reza Naiyeer, on 24’s second season, is excellent as a man of privilege who finds loss and love post-apocalypse). The show ran for two series, both of which are leaving on March 1st.
7. A Different World
This Cosby Show spin-off focused on the coolest, hippest, Huxtable of them all: smart and sarcastic daughter Denise. Well, at least it did for the first season, until the actress who played her (Lisa Bonet — AKA Zoe Kravitz’s mom and Khal Drogo’s wife) left after she had gotten pregnant (with Zoe), largely because series creator Bill Cosby refused to air the unplanned teenage pregnancy of one of his TV children. So, instead of having her pregnancy written into the show, Bonet left.
After Bonet’s exit, the show focused on Kadeem Hardison’s brainy math major Dwayne Wade and Jasmine Guy’s southern and spoiled Whitley Gilbert, while also serving as a starting off point for many up and coming actors and actresses (both Marisa Tomei and Jada Pinkett Smith had roles on the show). The series ran for six seasons (1987-93), an impressive feat considering how many spin-offs don’t make it past season one, and it remains a relevant commentary on both race and education. All six seasons will be leaving Netflix on March 15th.
6. Danger 5
This hilarious and absurd Australian comedy has an incredibly unique premise: set in an alternate universe in which Hitler and Nazi-ism were front and center in the 1960’s, five international spies are tasked with finding and killing Hitler before he can earn his reputation as the worst human ever. At times, Danger 5 feels like Archer meets Austin Powers crossed with Reno 911!, with dialogue written by a contemporary Samuel Beckett.
Danger 5 would feel right at home in an Adult Swim lineup, with its bizarre imaginary scenarios and campy overreactions. The show features dinosaurs controlled by Nazis, the spies take their orders from a giant eagle head perched atop a grown man’s body, and they drink cocktails with fresh mozzarella when time traveling, because, after all, “you can’t go back in time without cheese.” Naturally. The show definitely isn’t for everyone, but for any fan of absurdist humor or über-campy comedy, it’s a must-see. All available episodes will be leaving the stream-verse on March 9th.
5. Copper
We were huge fans of this BBC show, which lasted only two seasons before being canceled despite a solid critical reputation. Tom Weston-Jones starred as Irish cop Corky Corcoran, who has his hands full trying to clean up the streets of 1860s New York City while also dealing with a personal tragedy that struck when he was off fighting for the Northern forces in the Civil War. The show was more than a little gritty, even for a police drama, with some truly hard-to-watch and uncomfortable moments, many of which involved a young girl Corcoran had saved from sexual abuse.
While the series maintains a strong narrative, perhaps the primary reason to watch is to see two incredible actresses show their range: Franka Potente and Tessa Thompson. Potente (of The Bourne Identity fame) is subtly terrifying as brothel owner Eva Heissen, and Thompson, who has since delivered standout performances in Dear White People and Creed, steals every scene she’s in as the long-suffering wife of the town’s only African-American doctor. Both seasons will be leaving on March 1st.
4. Outcasts
Set in 2060, this futuristic series takes place on the planet Carpathia, which has been colonized by several settlers who have fled from various conflicts on Earth — which now takes five years to travel to via spacecraft. Led by Carpathian President Richard Tate (Liam Cunningham, who plays Ser Davos Seaworth on Game of Thrones), the settlers of Carpathia search for various resources and medicines native to their new home — while also trying to learn anything they can about the alien species that already occupy the planet.
The show is heavy on the sci-fi elements, and despite not seeing or meeting extraterrestrials who are native to Carpathia until the last couple of episodes, the aliens manage, much like The Others on LOST, to be an eerie presence the audience is always aware of, but never quite sure about. Battlestar Galactica fans will be delighted by Jamie Bamber’s appearance in the pilot episode. The entire 8 episode first season, the only one the series got before it was canned due to low ratings, leaves Netflix on March 1st.
3. Torchwood
John Barrowman broke barriers as Captain Jack Harkness, the leader of a secret group of alien investigators. Like the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Torchwood crew operates outside the confines of most legal organizations — they’re not affiliated with any governmental body, which leaves them open for both major accolades and extreme hostility. Barrowman’s Captain Jack is an exceptional character in that when we first met him, he was a time-traveling con man who accompanied the Ninth Doctor (Torchwood is a spin-off of Doctor Who) before dying, being resurrected, and rendered immortal after that.
Since his immortality left him with several new options, the omnisexual and extremely flirtatious Captain Jack decides to team up with the other rogues of Torchwood to search for aliens, as well as to plunder their possessions. The series ran from 2006-2011, and it developed a significant cult following. Fans of the show have until March 1st to binge it to their hearts’ content.
2. 3rd Rock From the Sun
John Lithgow has rarely been better — and we know that’s saying something. He won three Emmys and a Golden Globe for his role as Dick Solomon, the leader of a group of extraterrestrials who head to Ohio masquerading as the quintessential American family in order to learn more about humans and their habits. The show was reliably hilarious and insightful, often critiquing and analyzing some of the more bizarre or petty elements of human behavior. For example, a series highlight features Dick discovering what a human’s mid-life crisis is; viewers and his love interest Mary Albright (a game — and human — Jane Curtain) alike howled in delight watching Dick dye his graying hair jet black while wearing leather pants that squeaked with every step he took.
The show featured a hilarious and stellar cast (Kristen Johnston also won two Emmys for her role as the family’s sole female, Sally, and many fans of Joseph Gordon-Levitt remember seeing him first here as Tommy, the sensitive-yet-sexually curious teenager, Solomon). The show’s six seasons are slated to leave Netflix on March 15th.
1. Star Wars: The Clone Wars
This one may hurt the most. We took the re-watch potential for granted where Clone Wars is concerned, and now, time is running out. This animated favorite of the Star Wars-obsessed features seriously awesome cartoon versions of Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Darth Maul, among others. Many fans of the show highlight the fact that Clone Wars, despite being animated, still focuses on character development. The character of Anakin, for example, is portrayed here not as the whiny mess Hayden Christensen brought to the big screen, but as a strong and capable Jedi who is more hero than potential villain.
Clone Wars is also great because it continues to explore and expand upon the canon, often spending much more time getting to know characters like, say, Clone Troopers than any other material we’ve seen from other Star Wars-centric programs. Fans of the show have until March 7th to get their respective binges on. With 129 half-hour episodes, there’s still plenty of time for the truly dedicated.
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Which of these series will you be binge-watching over the next week or so? Sound off in the comments.
