A Canceled Netflix Series Compared to Game of Thrones Has Been Binge-Watched for Hundreds of Millions of Hours
Netflix has long been known for its blockbuster original series, from Squid Game to Wednesday. But among its early offerings was a historical drama that’s recently surged in popularity—drawing comparisons to Game of Thrones and The Last Kingdom.
The series, which originally aired between 2014 and 2016, ran for two seasons before being canceled. Despite its short run, it’s now enjoying a massive resurgence, having been binge-watched for hundreds of millions of hours.
It was one of Netflix’s early casualties in its original programming era. Remember Hemlock Grove, the horror series canceled in 2015 after three seasons? Or Bloodline, which wrapped up with its third season in 2017? This historical epic met a similar fate—but it seems viewers are giving it a second life.
Anyway, this drama is set in the 13th century and follows the early years of a famous Venetian explorer in the court of Kublai Khan, the Mongol emperor of China.
Fans and critics are in major disagreement over the show (Netflix)
As he navigates this lavish yet brutal new world, he’s drawn into a high-stakes game of loyalty, betrayal and ambition.
But he must walk the tightrope between being a curious foreigner and a trusted confidant – or risk losing his head.
Lorenzo Richelmy stars as Marco, while Benedict Wong plays Kublai Khan.
Tom Wu, Zhu Zhu, Remy Hii, Joan Chen and Rick Yune round off the main cast, with Wicked’s Michelle Yeoh and Hereditary’s Gabriel Byrne making special guest appearances.
The series in question is called Marco Polo – after the drama’s main character.
Watch its trailer below:
It’s been viewed for an astonishing 126.5 million hours, according to figures from FlixPatrol.
The series has also racked up an incredible Rotten Tomatoes score of 93 percent from audience members.
Despite all that, critics were less favorable, giving Marco Polo a 66 percent rating.
“An all-around disappointment, Marco Polo is less entertaining than a round of the game that shares its name,” its critics consensus said.
Yet viewers were in disagreement, as one fan said: “This was brilliant. Every bit as good as GOT, Vikings and The Last Kingdom. Well acted and visually stunning. It should never have been canceled.”
Fans were disappointed over Marco Polo’s cancelation (Netflix)
A second agreed: “Great cast, great story, starts a bit slow but that’s just in the first few episodes. Still wish for a season 3 please!”
A third remarked: “The fact that this series got cancelled is a travesty. It had so much promise.”
Another gave their verdict: “I thought the show, graphics, characters and everything about this show kept you wanting more! Definitely worth watching and I wish they wouldn’t have canceled!! 100% a fantastic series.”
Both seasons of Marco Polo are streaming now on Netflix.
