Quick answer: Netflix cancelled The Get Down in May 2017 after a single season. The two biggest factors were its very high cost — a reported $120 million for the season — and co-creator Baz Luhrmann’s decision to return to directing films, which meant he could not commit to a second season full-time. Netflix never blamed viewership (it does not release those numbers). All 11 episodes are still streaming on Netflix.
The Get Down was Baz Luhrmann’s ambitious, music-driven drama about the birth of hip-hop in the South Bronx of the late 1970s. It was one of Netflix’s most expensive early originals — and one of its shortest-lived. Here is the full story: what the show was, why it cost so much, why it ended, and where you can still watch it.
What Was The Get Down?
Set in 1977, as New York teetered on bankruptcy and the Bronx burned, the series follows a group of teenagers who find their voices through the new sounds of hip-hop, disco and graffiti. At its center is Ezekiel “Books” Figuero, a gifted young poet, and Shaolin Fantastic, a mysterious graffiti artist and aspiring DJ who pulls him into the scene. Alongside them is Mylene Cruz, a singer chasing disco stardom.
The show mixed coming-of-age drama, musical numbers, crime and real history, with appearances from fictionalized versions of hip-hop pioneers. The rapper Nas narrated it as the adult Ezekiel and served as a producer, and hip-hop legend Grandmaster Flash was closely involved as a consultant.
The cast
- Justice Smith as Ezekiel “Books” Figuero
- Shameik Moore as Shaolin Fantastic
- Herizen F. Guardiola as Mylene Cruz
- Skylan Brooks as Ra-Ra Kipling
- Jaden Smith as Dizzee
- Jimmy Smits as Francisco “Papa Fuerte” Cruz
- Giancarlo Esposito as Ramon Cruz
- Mamoudou Athie as Grandmaster Flash
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Cadillac
Several of those young actors went on to big careers: Justice Smith in the Jurassic World films, Shameik Moore as the voice of Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Watchmen and Aquaman.
A Big, Expensive Swing
The Get Down was co-created by Baz Luhrmann, the director of Moulin Rouge! and The Great Gatsby, and playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis. It brought Luhrmann’s lavish, music-heavy film style to television, with big set pieces, elaborate period sets and original music.
That ambition came at a price. The season was reported to have cost roughly $120 million, making it one of the priciest shows Netflix had made at that point. Luhrmann disputed reports that it was the most expensive series ever made, but no one disputed that it was enormously costly.
A troubled production
Making the show was difficult from the start. Production was repeatedly halted and restarted, scripts were rewritten, and original showrunner Shawn Ryan, the creator of The Shield, left the project after reportedly clashing with Luhrmann over its direction. The delays were so significant that Netflix split the single season into two parts:
| Part | Netflix release | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | August 12, 2016 | 6 |
| Part 2 | April 7, 2017 | 5 |
Why The Get Down Was Cancelled
Baz Luhrmann stepped away
Luhrmann had put his film career on hold to work on the show full-time. When the cancellation came in May 2017, he explained in a long Facebook post to fans that he had deferred a film directing commitment for at least two years. His hands-on involvement was central to the show, and both Netflix and the studio, Sony Pictures Television, wanted that to continue. He said he simply could not be in two productions at once, and summed it up plainly: “the simple truth is, I make movies.”
The cost
Without Luhrmann fully committed, Netflix would have been paying blockbuster money for a second season without the person who defined the show. Combined with the production problems, the price tag made a renewal hard to justify.
What about the ratings?
Netflix does not publish viewership figures, so no one can say the show was cancelled for low ratings. It clearly did not break through the way Stranger Things did in the same era, but Netflix never cited viewership as the reason.
Where to Watch The Get Down Now
The Get Down is a Netflix Original, and all 11 episodes are still streaming on Netflix in the US. It is not available on other services. Netflix plans start at $8.99 a month with ads.
The series ends without the second season it was building toward, but Part 2 wraps up the main characters’ arcs well enough to make it worth watching as a complete story.
What Happened Next
Luhrmann went back to film as planned and returned in 2022 with Elvis, a box-office hit that earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. The show’s reputation has also grown since its cancellation, with many viewers and critics now treating it as an underrated cult favorite.
What to Watch If You Liked The Get Down
- Hip-Hop Evolution — a documentary series on how hip-hop actually began, including the Bronx scene the show dramatizes.
- Pose — another music- and dance-driven drama about a New York subculture.
- Elvis — Luhrmann’s next project, with the same big, musical style.
- Atlanta — a sharp, offbeat series about a young man trying to break into the rap world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Netflix cancel The Get Down?
Mainly its high cost and Baz Luhrmann’s choice to return to filmmaking rather than commit to a second season.
How much did The Get Down cost?
The season was reported to cost about $120 million.
Was it cancelled because of low viewership?
No reason tied to ratings was ever given — Netflix does not release viewership numbers.
How many episodes of The Get Down are there?
11, released in two parts: six in August 2016 and five in April 2017.
Is The Get Down still on Netflix?
Yes. All 11 episodes stream on Netflix in the US.
Who created The Get Down?
Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis, with Nas as narrator and producer.
Who plays Grandmaster Flash in The Get Down?
Mamoudou Athie.
Will there be a Season 2?
No. Netflix cancelled the show in 2017, and there are no plans to revive it.