Netflix has been known to step in to save series, but they don’t exactly make it easy for other platforms to step in and save their cancelled projects. Historically speaking, when Netflix decides not to proceed with a project, that’s usually the end of the line for it.
While Netflix has saved many projects from cancellation, only one Netflix original series has been saved by another outlet and made it to air. Showtime tried to save the Neil Patrick Harris-led comedy Uncoupled, but a second season never made it to air, making One Day at a Time the only Netflix series to get cancelled and saved by another network.
Because of this, when a show is cancelled by Netflix – be it after it’s made it to the air or in the development stage – that’s usually the end of the line. Perhaps that’s why fans of The Witcher have been surprised to see a canceled Netflix series dropping on the streaming platform, not as a series but as a Netflix special.
Netflix releases cancelled Witcher spinoff series as Netflix special
Three years ago, Netflix began working to expand The Witcher franchise by ordering a live-action spinoff about the Rats. The spinoff was first announced back in 2022 by Redanian Intelligence, who revealed that Netflix was looking to expand the franchise via a series exploring the Nilfgaardian misfits.
Production on the spinoff began in November of that year, with The Witcher writer Haily Hall serving as showrunner on the project. Netflix’s original plan was to whip up a six to eight episode series, and filming began in South Africa in May 2023. Filming was supposed to last for several months, but Netflix closed up shop just two months into production after reviewing early footage.
Simply put, the show wasn’t coming together in the way that Netflix hoped, and the series seemed to be quietly cancelled. With Netflix putting a pin on the spinoff, reports suggested that Netflix would use the shot footage in The Witcher season 4 with many speculating that we’d see a bottle episode in the season centered around the Rats. Instead, Netflix has surprised fans by transforming what was intended to be a spinoff series based on The Rats into a Netflix special.
Dropping on October 30 alongside The Witcher season 4, The Rats: A Witcher Tale retooled the spinoff series into a 1-hour and 22 minute special following the Rats as they target the grand opening of a fighting arena. The special marks the final chapter for the Rats in the franchise, set before the events of season 3 when the group crossed paths with Ciri.
It’s a special that dropped without any notice or promotion from Netflix, making it a release that went nearly under the radar. There was no sign of the special on Netflix’s November 2025 release list, and Netflix didn’t even promote the special on its social platforms ahead of its release, making it a true surprise release.
The move is one that shows Netflix still has ways of surprising fans, and it’s great to see the streaming service retooling the failed series in a way that allowed the creative team and actors behind the project to see their work put out into the world for fans to enjoy.