When Netflix released its engagement report for the second half of 2025, the streamer touted the success of “Nobody Wants This” Season 2 (30.4 million views) and Season 5 of “Emily in Paris” (30.3 million views) among its top comedies. But not-so-conveniently missing from Netflix’s pitch was another original that did better than both of them: “Boots” Season 1.
The coming-of-age comedy-drama — notable for being the final project to be executive produced by the late Norman Lear — scored 30.7 million views, a solid 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and strong reviews from the likes of Variety, which called it “a delightful, heartfelt watch.” (You may have seen it make Variety‘s top 100 ranker of most-watched TV shows from 2025-2026.) And then it was canceled.
What? “It’s disappointing that the decision, whatever the reason being, was to not continue,” says executive producer Brent Miller, who ran Lear’s Act III production company for years until the legend’s death in 2023. “We were told what they’ve told the public, which is the decision was for financial reasons, and that is all. I can only assume that that’s the reason behind it. But, you know, it was … interesting timing when they said no more.”
Miller is very diplomatic and careful in describing his disappointment, telling me that Netflix execs “genuinely loved the show, and I think they too were proud of it.”
But it’s hard not to wonder how much political concerns really went into the cancellation of “Boots.” The show was adapted from former U.S. Marine Greg Cope’s memoir “The Pink Marine,” and follows the tale of Cameron (Miles Heizer) as he decides to join the Marines with his friend Ray (Liam Oh) — just as he’s struggling to figure out his own identity and sexuality.
The show takes place in the 1990s, right before the Gulf War (and even before “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”) and does an outstanding job of not only depicting what it’s like to live through three months of boot camp, but also the bonds that form and the sacrifices that are made when training to serve our nation.
Of course, the Pentagon missed all that when it decided to attack “Boots” as “woke garbage,” whatever that means. “When the Pentagon weighed in, truthfully, it was a badge of honor,” Miller says. “Because to me, it was clear they really didn’t watch the show. I was like, if you’re going to comment on something, at least watch it!”
One might argue that Netflix, looking to curry favor with the Trump administration (like all media companies these days), saw “Boots” and the Pentagon’s criticism as a liability and decided to cut bait. The streamer has already been faced with backlash from politicos over its programming and maybe didn’t want to rock the boat further.
Sony tried and failed to find a new home for “Boots” — but just a few months later, HBO Max wound up with a smash in “Heated Rivalry,” another show about young gay men discovering their truth in a world often hostile to LGBTQ+ representation.
It’s a long shot, but “Boots” is being submitted to the Emmys — and who knows, with no “Heated Rivalry” in the competition, maybe voters who want to make a statement will find it. Miller knows that a Season 2 may not happen, but he still remains hopeful, and even knows where the show would go next.
“Maybe [an Emmy nomination] will change the minds of some of the people that have the power to make those decisions to bring us back to war — if that’s where we’re going to go for a second season.”
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