Pulsewas Netflix’s best shot at competing with HBO’sThe Pitt, but the streaming service has officially pulled the plug after just one season.Pulsestarred Willa Fitzgerald and Colin Woodell, and came from creator Zoe Robyn. The medical procedural drama premiered its first season on Netflix on April 3rd, 2025, three months afterThe Pitt’s massive premiere on Max.
According toDeadline,Netflix has officially canceledPulsefollowing the low performance of its first season. This cancellation reportedly happened quietly in June, when the cast and showrunner were notified by Netflix thatPulsewouldn’t continue into a sophomore season. Now, the cancellation of the medical drama, along with that ofThe Residence, has been made public.
What Pulse’s Cancelation Means For Netflix
The Medical Drama Couldn’t Hold Up To The Competition
The success of series likeThe Pittproves that medical procedural dramas continue to have great potential. The HBO Max series isn’t the only success story. Fox’sDoc, CBS’Watson, and NBC’sBrilliant Minds, all of which premiered this year in the lead-up toPulse’s first season, have all performed admirably with audiences.
Unfortunately, Netflix’s contribution to the genre didn’t stack up. It’s likely thatPulsesuffered primarily because it arrived late to the game compared to its competitors. This will serve as a lesson for Netflix if it attempts to revisit the medical procedural drama genre down the line. A careful release strategy will be a must.
Our Take On Netflix’s Pulse Cancellation
Netflix’s Next Attempt Must Offer Something New
Netflix’sPulsenews came along with the announcement that other shows, likeThe Residence,have been cut, with Lisa Kudrow’sNo Good Deedplaced on the back burner until further notice. With each of these freshman series released within the last few months, it’s evident that Netflix isn’t wasting any time discarding underperforming projects.
The Pitt, Watson, and others had a far more unique hook.
This will allow Netflix to try again with the medical procedural genre down the line. However, the streaming platform must first take the time to observe what allowedPulseto underperformwhile other projects have done so well.The Pitt,Watson, and others had a far more unique hook.Pulse, on the other hand, didn’t contribute anything new to the genre.
Standard medical dramas have done well for decades, but this only means that it’s all the more challenging to produce something new and intriguing that audiences haven’t seen before. Other platforms have managed this phenomenally, butPulse’sexceptional cast wasn’t enough to push it ahead. Perhaps Netflix’s next offering will provide more effective competition.
