Importance Score: 30 / 100 🔵
As April arrives, Netflix has revealed its lineup of TV shows set to depart the streaming platform, prompting disappointment among viewers. Following recent acclaim for debuting innovative content such as the compelling series Adolescence, the platform is now preparing to remove several popular titles from its catalogue this month. Among the programmes being removed from Netflix are a beloved British sitcom with a devoted fanbase, a Spanish-language series centered on a tragic true crime, and a popular Japanese animation.
Titles Leaving Netflix in April
Seven notable series are scheduled for permanent removal from the streaming service this month. Fans are anticipated to be particularly disheartened by the departure of the early 2000s science fiction police drama Life on Mars. The programme garnered significant popularity, leading to the creation of a successful spin-off. However, subscribers still have a limited time to watch these programmes before they are no longer available on the platform. Here are the seven series viewers should watch before they leave Netflix.
Life on Mars
Life on Mars centres on Sam Tyler (portrayed by John Simm), a Manchester police officer who inexplicably finds himself transported from 2006 back to 1973 after a near-fatal car crash.
In the 1970s, Tyler continues his law enforcement career in the same city, now under the supervision of the commanding Detective Chief Inspector Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister). The BBC drama originally aired for two seasons between 2006 and 2007, subsequently spawning the spin-off series, Ashes to Ashes.
Last day to watch: April 19
Hatton Garden
Celebrated British actor Timothy Spall headlines the cast of ITV’s drama Hatton Garden, which dramatises the “most audacious” British heist of recent decades.
The series chronicles the real-life robbery of jewellery, precious metals, and cash from a vault in London’s diamond district, executed by a group of veteran criminals during the Easter Bank Holiday weekend in April 2015. The television adaptation premiered four years later, comprising a single season.
Last day to watch: April 30
The IT Crowd
Featuring a cast including Chris O’Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson, and Matt Berry, The IT Crowd follows the professional and personal lives of the IT support team at Reynholm Industries, a fictional corporation situated in London.
Regarded as a cornerstone of British comedic television, the sitcom aired for five seasons on Channel 4 from 2006 to 2013 and significantly boosted the careers of its principal actors. It also popularised the now-iconic phrase: “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”
Last day to watch: April 25
The Missing
Debuting on the BBC in 2014, the initial season of The Missing, starring James Nesbitt and Tchéky Karyo, explored the investigation into the sudden disappearance of a young boy in France.
The second season concentrated on a separate missing person case, this time set in Germany, with David Morrissey and Keeley Hawes portraying the distraught parents.
Following the conclusion of The Missing in 2016, the BBC commissioned a spin-off series titled Baptiste in 2019, focusing on Karyo’s detective character.
Last day to watch: April 12
Man Down
Created, co-written by, and starring Greg Davies, Man Down features Davies as a man in his forties undergoing a midlife crisis while living with his parents. The Channel 4 sitcom broadcasted for four seasons, totaling 26 episodes, from 2013 to 2017.
Last day to watch: April 17
Seraph of the End
The anime series Seraph of the End is set in a post-apocalyptic world and follows the young survivors of a devastating viral pandemic as they confront a new threat: vampires who have seized control of the world.
This animated adaptation is based on the Japanese dark fantasy manga series of the same title, authored by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto.
Last day to watch: April 15
Monzón: A Knockout Blow
The Spanish-language drama Monzón: A Knockout Blow recounts the life story of Argentine boxing legend Carlos Monzon (played by Jorge Román), and the inquiry into the death of his wife, Alicia Muniz (Carla Quevedo).
In 1988, Monzón was convicted of the homicide of Muniz and received an 11-year prison sentence. He died in a car accident seven years later while returning to prison after a weekend release. The television miniseries aired its single season in 2018.
Last day to watch: April 16