Netflix is set to lose three of its best TV shows in just a few days. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the streamer’s selection of third-party content will shrink even further in September as a classic sitcom has just been confirmed to be leaving Netflix very soon.
Major Dad was a surprise addition to the Netflix U.S. library last summer, but the CBS sitcom’s stay on the platform appears to be a short one as it’ll be removed entirely on Thursday, September 1. On this date all four seasons, consisting of 96 episodes, will no longer be available to stream on Netflix.
Airing between 1989 and 1993, Major Dad starred Gerald McRaney as a gruff U.S. Marine whose previously well-ordered life is thrown into chaos when he falls in love with a journalist and becomes a stepfather to her three daughters. The fondly-remembered sitcom also featured Shanna Reed, Marisa Ryan, Nicole Dubuc, Chelsea Hertford and Matt Mulhern.
Major Dad didn’t quite enjoy the same level of success as competing shows at the time such as Seinfeld and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but it’s still left a lasting legacy and there’s no doubt that many Netflix subscribers will have a deep nostalgia for the show. Its disappointingly quick tour of Netflix is sure to leave some viewers frustrated.
Making matters worse, at the time of writing Netflix is the exclusive streaming home of Major Dad. The show isn’t currently available to watch on any competing services. However, with its time on Netflix rapidly running out there is a possibility that this will change in the near future. Right now, Peacock, which is owned by Universal who distributed the show, or Paramount Plus, owned by original network CBS, seem the most likely candidates for where the show will resurface after its leaves Netflix.
Netflix losing yet more third-party content is definitely a blow for the world’s biggest streaming service. The streamer has taken quite a few knocks already this year, but the recent stream of popular shows leaving the service is arguably the most damaging. Netflix’s ability to license third-party content has greatly diminished in recent years, which has resulted in a focus on original content.
While subscribers love shows like Stranger Things and movies like The Gray Man draw plenty of interest, classic shows keep thousands of viewers coming back to Netflix on a daily basis. Major Dad might not be the most popular show Netflix is losing this summer, but it’s another unfortunate example of the service losing a show most likely to a rival streaming service.
Next: NBC cancels Million Dollar Island before it even airs, Virgin River season 5 is in the works, and Netflix is losing Schitt's Creek in October, so be sure to binge-watch it right now
