Netflix has officially canceled Boots, its queer-focused military coming-of-age comedy-drama, after a single season. The decision ends the run of one of the streamer’s most critically praised LGBTQ-inclusive series of the year, and marks the final television project from legendary producer Norman Lear.
The eight-episode first season of Boots debuted more than two months ago and earned strong reviews, boasting a 90 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes from both critics and audiences. Despite respectable ratings and cultural buzz, Netflix ultimately chose not to move forward with a second season.
According to industry sources, the decision was not a simple or immediate cancellation. The series had internal support at Netflix, and the streamer held extended discussions with studio Sony Pictures Television while evaluating long-term viewership data. Sony even took steps to keep the show viable by extending cast options in August, including leads Miles Heizer, Liam Oh, Kieron Moore, Dominic Goodman, Angus O’Brien, Blake Burt and Rico Paris.
However, Netflix’s exclusivity agreements make it nearly impossible for outside studios to shop a series elsewhere once it has been canceled by the platform.
Created by Andy Parker and inspired by Greg Cope White’s memoir The Pink Marine, Boots centers on Cameron Cope (Heizer), a closeted and directionless young man who enlists in the U.S. Marine Corps alongside his straight best friend, Ray McAffey (Oh). The series is set in 1990, a time when being openly gay in the military was illegal, and follows a diverse group of recruits navigating the physical and emotional pressures of boot camp while grappling with identity, masculinity and belonging.
The ensemble cast also includes Vera Farmiga, Max Parker, Cedrick Cooper, Ana Ayora and Nicholas Logan.
The show’s release sparked national attention after the Pentagon publicly criticized Boots, dismissing it as “woke garbage.” The backlash appeared to fuel interest rather than diminish it. During its first full week on Netflix, the dramedy averaged 9.4 million views, nearly doubling its debut-week numbers. Boots spent four weeks in Netflix’s Top 10, peaking at No. 2.
The cancellation brings an end to a long and complicated production journey. Boots was greenlit in May 2023 while Lear — a decorated World War II veteran and trailblazer in socially conscious television, was still alive. Production began that summer but shut down just one week in due to the Hollywood strikes. Filming resumed in March 2024 and wrapped in August 2024. Lear died in December 2023 at age 101, months before the series premiered.
Jennifer Cecil served as showrunner and executive producer, with Parker acting as creator, co-showrunner and executive producer. Lear and Brent Miller executive produced through Act III Productions, alongside Rachel Davidson and Scott Hornbacher and Peter Hoar.
While Netflix continues renewing other scripted series, including Beauty in Black and Nobody Wants This, the cancellation of Boots underscores the ongoing challenges facing queer-led stories, even those that resonate with audiences and critics alike.
For fans, Boots now stands as a one-season snapshot of queer history, resilience and found family, and a final salute from one of television’s most influential voices.
