Image Credit: Netflix
What’s in the box? The game is over. Netflix has reportedly opted not to renew the Neil Patrick Harris-hosted reality competition series for a second season, making it the latest casualty in the streamer’s unscripted library.
This scoop comes courtesy of veteran television reporter Matt Mitovich (formerly of TVLine). In a recent Q&A Mailbag on your new freelance blog (via netflixlife), a reader named Maddie asked if Netflix was planning a sophomore outing for the game show. Mitovich responded by throwing cold water on this idea:
“I’m hearing there are no plans for any more episodes of the game show hosted by Neil Patrick Harris at this time.”
While Netflix rarely issues formal cancellation press releases for its unreleased fare, “No plans at this time” is the standard industry death knell for reality series that quietly fail to reach internal viewership milestones.
For those who may have forgotten, What’s in the box? All six episodes of its new show dropped late last year on December 17, 2025. The show appeared in the daily top 10 in some countries including Canada, Malta, South Africa. some others. However, it missed the weekly global top 10, and by the end of the year had received 9.3 million hours and 2.1 million views, according to Netflix engagement reports.
Hosted by Emmy and Tony-winner Neil Patrick Harris (who previously directed similar unscripted ventures like Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris and Genius Jr.), the series featured eight pairs of contestants competing in fast-paced trivia. Target? Earning the right to open 13 giant gold boxes to claim and ruthlessly defend life-changing rewards. The season concluded with the top performing pairs playing for the “Super Box”, a grand prize of over $250,000.
So, why didn’t Netflix want to see what else was in the box?
As we often cover here on What’s on Netflix, the reality and game show genres are notoriously cut-throat on the platform. If an unscripted show doesn’t immediately enter the cultural sphere (like Squid Game: The Challenge or Perfect Match) or doesn’t show high completion rates, it rarely gets a second lease of life. Falling right in the middle of the crowded December holiday season probably didn’t help the show’s prospects, as it struggled to make a consistent dent in the Global Top 10 amid the heavy winter releases.
What’s in the box? Now More Than One joins the growing list of game shows on Netflix, proving once again that the streamer is eager to crack the traditional game show format, but finding a sticky, long-lasting hit remains a tough puzzle.
We contacted Netflix, which declined to comment.
We’ll add the show to our full list of 2026 cancellations soon.
Are you disappointed that Netflix has taken the lid off What’s in the Box? Let us know in the comments below!
