Neil Gaiman's successful Netflix series canceled after allegations of sexual abuse

The single-season series, which is also part of the Sandman universe, originally debuted in April and was adapted by Steve Yockey, who worked closely with the original and, in some places, with Gaiman himself to bring the comedy-drama to life.

The eight-part series follows the unconventional ghost duo Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), who form a criminal investigation department from the afterlife to solve supernatural cases.

The series couldn't compete with The Sandman (which will have a second season), and after reaching number three in Nielsen's US top 10 with 633 million minutes of viewing time, its popularity quickly waned.

The show fared better, achieving a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and receiving widespread praise from fans.

Although fans and the 63-year-old bestselling author held out hope for a renewal, Variety confirmed that those hopes were dashed.

A woman claimed she was sexually abused by Gaiman when she was 22 and he was 61 in 2022, within hours of meeting him. Gaiman responded that he offered his assistance to New Zealand police at the time, but the matter was dropped.

The second allegation dates back to 2003 and was made by a woman who was 18 at the time. She claimed that she endured “rough and painful sex” that she “neither wanted nor enjoyed.”

Gaiman has insisted that all of his relationships were consensual. According to the Bookseller, up to five allegations have now surfaced from different women.

How did fans react to the cancellation of “Dead Boy Detectives”?

“Dead Boy Detectives” is the latest in a long line of series with loyal fanbases to be canceled, following the cancellation of “My Lady Jane” on Prime Video and “The Acolyte” on Disney+.

In addition, given the diversity of characters and storylines, many fans have expressed disappointment that streaming services have yet again canceled a series with LGBTQ+ and POC leads.

This is a result of the backlash following the cancellation of series such as Everything Now, A League of Their Own, First Kill and Willow – to name a few.

The actors who direct “Dead Boys Detectives” have responded to the disappointing news on social media.

“I just wanted to come here and say how eternally grateful I am to the Dead Boy Detectives.

Meanwhile, Rexstrew posted a broken heart emoji on his Instagram story.