Netflix Pulls the Plug on Chuck Lorre’s ‘Disjointed’

Today, Netflix announced that it has cancelled Kathy Bates’ and Chuck Lorre’s sitcom Disjointed. On a streaming network where The Ranch is currently gearing up for season five, the weed-focused series must have been a grave disappointment.

When Disjointed premiered on Netflix last August 25, it was essentially overlooked by most viewers and critics. Those people who did find their way to the workplace comedy were quickly underwhelmed.

Disjointed followed Bates’ marijuana dispensary owner, her lawyer son, and the gaggle of various stoner cliches that made up the crew of her shop. There was the generic, addlepated stoner, the security guard with (hi-LAR-ious) PTSD, and a whole host of customers that seemed like they were pulled from the less inventive Cheech and Chong movies.

Even as Bates and her crew worked feverishly to try and make their pro-pot agenda seem like innovative comedy, they were hamstrung by the series’ hackneyed jokes and rote plot lines. TV shows just aren’t getting as much mileage as they used to from characters whose primary gimmick is their silly name — Tae Kwon Doug, Dank, and Dabby come to mind.

Of course, in the lead role, Kathy Bates brought every bit of her natural charm and magnetism. Unfortunately, the stale writing and half-formed characters surrounding her were too much of a hurdle to overcome.

Though Netflix doesn’t release its viewing numbers, it seems pretty clear that the streaming giant isn’t immune to bad programming decisions, just like the rest of the majors. As the company increases its slate of original series, viewers should only expect more and more pitfalls like this misfired show.