Netflix had a surprise hit last fall with the eight-episode series Boots, a queer coming of age story that starred Miles Heizer as a kid who enlists in the marines straight out of high school in the pre Don’t Ask Don’t Tell 90s. It was a true story adapted from the memoir The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White, and also happened to be the last project executive produced by TV icon Norman Lear. I inhaled the series over one weekend, and I was not alone: Boots doubled its viewership to 9.4 million in its second week on Netflix moving it up to the second most-watched series. Also noteworthy was that in that second week, Boots out-ranked the season 3 premiere of The Diplomat by 4.6 million views.
And as if all that weren’t enough, we really knew the show was finding a sizable audience when the Pentagon felt threatened enough to denounce it as “woke garbage.” (You know, the same Pentagon run by he-man Pete Hegseth who installed a makeup studio there last year.) All that success… and then in December Netflix announced they were canceling Boots. So Variety’s Marc Malkin did the gay lord’s work at the Directors Guild of America Awards earlier this month when he cornered Netflix head Ted Sarandos on the red carpet and demanded an explanation live on camera, specifically asking if it came down to political pressure from the current (mal)administration:
“There was some talk about Boots being canceled,” Malkin said. “People were surprised it didn’t get a second season, and people assumed it was because the Department of War went after it. Did that have anything to do with that decision?”
“Absolutely not,” Sarandos replied. “These are all business decisions based on audience relative to the cost of the show. Do the people who push play watch it till the end? Do they give it a couple of thumbs up? Does it keep growing? All of those things. That decision is made every day.”
Netflix confirmed the drama would not continue shortly after its debut, ending plans for a follow-up season. The eight-episode series, executive produced by Norman Lear, was the late television pioneer’s final project before his death in 2023.
Based on Greg Cope White’s memoir The Pink Marine, Boots followed a closeted teenager navigating Marine Corps training during the 1990s, when LGBTQ+ service members faced strict restrictions under military policy.
Asked about the emotional response from audiences following the cancellation, Sarandos added: “The beauty of why people get upset when you cancel a show is because they love them. That’s the best part about our business, it’s that people really love the product. And it’s heartbreaking to cancel any show, ever, particularly a show that Norman Lear brought to me. It was his last show.”
Malkin responded, “I loved that show.”
“I’m a fan,” Sarandos agreed.
Debate around the show’s future intensified after Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson described the series as “woke garbage” in a statement criticising its themes, prompting questions about whether politics had influenced Netflix’s decision-making.
To fully appreciate these weak-sauce responses, you really need to watch Ted Sarandos deliver them in motion in the video clip. Only then do you get to enjoy the contradiction of the assured-seeming commentary with his startled, scared sh-tless-seeming eyes. Hey Ted, you sure you’d give the same answer if it was for a deposition under oath? Cause don’t forget the timing of all this: Netflix announced Boots was canceled only shortly after announcing their big beautiful acquisition of Warner Bros, a merger that requires federal approval. Just sayin’. Now, to pick apart the content of Ted‘s response to Malkin. I understand Ted was aiming for the sentiment, “It’s great to have fans feel so passionately about our show!” But the actual words that clumsily fell out of Ted’s mouth amounted to: “It’s beautiful when people get upset over us canceling shows they love!” And then he follows it up with, “That’s the best part about our business, it’s that people really love the product.” You know what creators love? Studio heads who don’t refer to their art as “product.”
Anyway, Boots was a truly delightful series, and it was a treat to see the audience show up for a wonderfully told LGBTQ+ story — of all the shows Netflix canceled, Boots was the most-watched for the second half of 2025. And bear in mind, this was about two months before Heated Rivalry skated into our lives. Which leads me to another worry: Heated Rivalry aired in the US on HBO Max, part of the Warner Bros Discovery umbrella Netflix is purchasing… don’t you dare f–k with our hockey boys, Sarandos!
Photos credit: Getty Images for Netflix and Netflix via Netflix Press
Pretty sure there were shows with less viewers than Boots that were greenlit for another season. What he’s saying doesn’t make sense.
And even more scary is the fact that Netflix might not acquire HBO after all which would mean it goes to paramount/Ellison…which is worse imo. He wants to blacklist actors who speak out politically. And he could do it too. It would also give him control of CNN…which is much worse than Bari Weiss by far. So yeah, scary af times.
HR will get made either way bc it’s fully candadian funded and I imagine they could find other distribution if HBO max didn’t pick it up. But if we’re looking at HBO, money-wise, the hockey show is a steal for them so I wouldn’t be worried.
If anyone believes that word salad response there’s a bridge for sale in Brooklyn…cheap!