When I question if Netflix made a mistake with their 2020 TV show Julie and the Phantoms, I’m not talking about the show itself, but rather their decision to cancel it after only one season. Almost 6 years after its original release, it regularly becomes a topic of Netflix’s Instagram comments or viral TikTok videos. The most recent example of this resurgence is Charlie Gillespie’s recent casting in Heated Rivalry season 2, which seems to be reminding a lot of people how much they loved the show.

Directed and choreographed by Kenny Ortega (the brains behind High School Musical and Descendants) Julie and the Phantoms, or JATP, followed a young girl who lost her love for music after her mum passed away and how a band of ghosts helped her find her sound again. Though originally targeted and marketed for children, it resonated with many older teenagers and young adults, increasing its popularity online. The cast were all incredibly talented, both in acting and musically, and the soundtrack for the show has some really great songs with unexpected charm and emotion. Initially something I just put on for background noise during one of the COVID lockdowns, I was surprised by how invested I became and how much I loved it.

The shows cancellation was definitely premature, with the final scene of the show even seemingly setting up a future plot line for a potential renewal. Ortega has said in interviews since the end of the show that he had plans for 5 seasons in total, and there were even talks of the fictional band going on a real tour if it continued to be successful. It was so popular that more than one Julie and the Phantoms themed comic con-style event was held just for the cast to meet dedicated fans.

There is no doubt that there were so many people supporting Julie and the Phantoms. Multiple petitions were started online campaigning for a second season, and the biggest one reached around 350,000 signatures. When it was officially announced as cancelled, fans flooded Netflix’s comment sections for months demanding it was renewed, and multiple fans reached out to other networks begging someone to pick it up.

Sure, Julie and the Phantoms was created as a show for kids and preteens, but I think it is a perfect example of people just enjoying whatever they want, purely because it makes them happy. There were rumours that part of the reason for the show’s cancellation was due to Netflix not knowing how to market it after the surprise variety in audience, but I think that could’ve made it even more of a success in the long run. This is definitely one of bigger recent examples of Netflix making a mistake by cancelling what could’ve been an amazing franchise (other examples I can think of include First Kill, and I Am Not Okay With This, but that is a whole other conversation topic for the future) and the longevity of the fanbase and support still surprises me.

I would recommend Julie and the Phantoms to fans of shows like High School Musical: The Musical: The Series as well as kids, preteens and young adults who love music and just want something fun and easy to watch in their spare time.