The Frankenstein Chronicles – Picture: ITV Encore
The British Netflix Original series The Frankenstein Chronicles will soon be departing with both seasons 1 and 2 of the series currently scheduled to leave on February 20th, 2022.
The Frankenstein Chronicles first aired on ITV Encore (a now-defunct TV channel that operated in the United Kingdom) back in 2015 with a follow-up season airing in 2017.
Here’s what you can expect from the series if you’ve never given it a watch:
“A detective tracks what seems to be a killer with a taste for dismemberment in 1827 London, but the case leads in a far more terrifying direction.”
Among the cast for the series included Anna Maxwell Martin, Charlie Creed-Miles, Ed Stoppard, Elliot Cowan, Eloise Smyth, Vanessa Kirby, Ryan Sampson, and as mentioned, Sean Bean.
Why is The Frankenstein Chronicles leaving Netflix?
Netflix acquired the global rights to The Frankenstein Chronicles after the second season had aired. Both seasons were simultaneously released on Netflix on February 20th, 2018. Now, four years later, that license is up despite it carrying the Netflix Original branding. It’s leaving on February 20th meaning your last full day to watch is on February 19th.
At the time, it was believed that should the show do well on Netflix it could potentially get more seasons produced. In the Variety report mentioned above, they state:
“The Frankenstein Chronicles” deal opens the way for Netflix to make further seasons should it resonate with its U.S. and global subscribers. The streaming service also has the second season of “Medici,” which will feature Bean.
It’s worth noting that A&E was given broadcast rights in the United States.
You may be thinking “wait, why is a Netflix Original leaving” and you’d be right to think that. Unlike Amazon Prime, Netflix doesn’t differentiate its Original libraries into just exclusive and actual original content. In this case, Netflix simply licensed the show on an exclusive basis for what now is known to be four years.
It joins a growing list of other Netflix Originals that have departed the service around the globe and it’s not the only Netflix Originals leaving in February 2022 either. Morocco: Love in Times of War (Tiempos de Guerra) is due to leave on February 17th and the French documentary Mercenary is leaving on February 5th.
Where will The Frankenstein Chronicles stream next?
That’s unclear right now. If we were putting money on its next streaming home, we’d guess that ITV will opt to license it to BritBox which it has a vested interest in. Otherwise, it’ll go to the highest bidder. There is a chance, as we’ve seen with other Netflix Original departures, that the series just isn’t available on SVOD services. In which case, you’ll need to seek out physical or VOD copies.
Will you miss The Frankenstein Chronicles when it leaves Netflix in Feburary 2022? Let us know in the comments down below.