10 Super Disappointing Netflix Original Series
6. Marco Polo
If you're going to be this transparent about wanting to capitalize on the success of Game of Thrones, it would probably help if you were actually good.
Marco Polo is the story of the famous explorer who traveled throughout Asia and told a lot of tall tales about his various exploits. This version is incredibly stylized, hip, and tries to be sexy, as though daring you to think that it's the sort of thing that would be on HBO.
But the biggest issue with the show is exactly that: it's trying too hard. Nothing cool about that. It spends so much time trying to emulate the type of show that it perceives itself as, but it never fully convinces itself or anyone else.
The poor thing stumbled along for two seasons before Netflix had to admit defeat and issue a cancellation notice. This sort of show does not come cheaply, and Netflix couldn't afford to spend any more capital on what was their first real taste of failure.