Netflix is building quite the reputation for, like Fox, canceling popular shows before their prime. A recent casualty on their war on quality programming is Kaos, an eight-episode series that ended on a cliffhanger, primed for a second and possibly third season.

The series premise is brilliant. In our modern world, the Greek gods still reign supreme. Zeus (Jeff Goldblum) is worrying neurotically (as Goldblum characters are prone to do) about a prophecy that foretells the fall of his family. Hera (Janet McTeer) and Poseidon (Cliff Curtis) are carrying on a torrid affair. Hades (David Thewlis) and Persephone (Rakie Ayola) are trying to reform the underworld. Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan) wants more responsibility. And Prometheus (Stephen Dillane) is still chained to a cliff, having his liver torn out on the regular by an eagle while plotting his revenge, except for those rare times when Zeus summons him for a quick chat.

Meanwhile, on the mortal plane, President Minos (Stanley Townsend) of Crete is trying to defy his bloody fate while his daughter Ari (Leila Farzad) looks on in horror. Orpheus (Killian Scott) seeks a path into the underworld to bring back his lost love Eurydice (Aurora Perrineau), but she might not want to return ... in part because of the former Amazon Caeneus (Misia Butler) who has more than befriended her down below. Cassandra (Billie Piper), a prophetess, tries to warn people of their fates, but of course her curse is that no one will ever believe her.

There is a lot going on in this series, as Trojans seek to rebel, the Minotaur's sad story is revealed, and Zeus murders his way through his army of servile ball boys with a vengeance.

Series creator Charlie Covell did a masterful job of wrapping Greek mythology into a modern setting, and directors Georgi Banks-Davies and Runyararo Mapfumo really brought it to life. The settings are stunning, and the cast does an excellent job with their epic roles. The series is funny, but also horrifying and sad, and it feels very real despite the legendary origins of its major cast members and plot. My wife and I watched the eight episodes of the first season fairly quickly and were stunned -- and very disappointed -- to find out the series was cancelled with so many questions left unanswered.

A lot of the television shows remembered now as classics did not find their audience immediately, sometimes taking a few seasons before they hit their stride and caught on. It's frustrating that so many network and streaming executives in the 21st century are so shortsighted, simply discarding topnotch programming simply because it doesn't get an immediate following. Kaos definitely deserved another season before being tossed on the ash heap.