Picture: Netflix
The Lady’s Companion, Netflix’s ambitious Spanish period drama (also known as Manual para Señoritas in Spanish-speaking regions), will reportedly not be returning for a second season on the streamer, according to local reporting. The show picked up some solid reviews upon its release but its downfall may have been its viewership. Here’s what we know.
Coming from the creator of The Cable Girls, the period drama touched down on Netflix in March 2025 globally and was set in Madrid in 1880. The plot followed Elena Bianda, the city’s most sought-after, morally rigorous lady-in-waiting, who must navigate her greatest challenge yet when she’s tasked with guiding three spirited Mencía sisters toward society and marriage. Nadia de Santiago, Alvaro Mel, Isa Montalbán, Zoe Bonafonte, and Iratxe Emparán were amongst the cast.
Following the release, it’s all been quiet about the future of the show until a flurry of news posts over the past week or so.
Reporting from local sources seems to be a bit all over the place when it comes to this particular cancellation, and there’s even a bit of confusion about whether it was renewed well in advance. Most roads on the cancellation side all lead to the outlet El Confidencial Digital and author Óscar Gutiérrez Martínez, who reported on May 12th that the production team behind the show had been informed that the show would not be coming back for a second season. They specifically cite budgeting reasons and an internal shift of priorities.
Over the past week or so, some outlets have contradicted this report and said the show has already been renewed. Why is there some confusion here? Well, it comes down to what an executive said about the show ahead of its release. The Spanish outlet Formula TV first reported that early development was ongoing for this show and Respira (Breathless), which did go on to get a full renewal, ahead of release. That was reiterated to us on a set visit in mid-2024 with an executive telling us that early development was ongoing, albeit it hadn’t received a full season 2 renewal at that point. That’s not uncommon with Netflix shows, regardless of location, to be able to hit the ground running should the show return and avoid prolonged release dates.
We have contacted Netflix’s PR team on the ground in Spain for additional context and comment. If they respond, we will update this article.
How well did The Lady’s Companion perform on Netflix?
From our perspective, the reason for the cancellation comes down to performance. The show featured in the global weekly top 10s for four weeks in total, picking up 63 million hours watched globally, equating to 11.2 million views. Furthermore, the show featured in the weekly top 10s in 66 countries, suggesting it did have some early global appeal.
Let’s compare that performance across the four weeks against some of the other shows from Spain over the past few years. Note that Sky High: The Series was canceled, Breathless and Gangs of Galicia have been renewed, and that Raising Voices and The Asunta Case are limited series.
If we compare week-to-week performance in a chart over time, you can see that The Lady’s Companion wasn’t a million miles away from being among a couple of renewed shows from Netflix Spain. That said, given the budget of the series was likely higher, as is the case with most period dramas and as cited above, it likely didn’t do what they had internally expected to justify continuing.
Another sign we look for when it comes to local productions like this is their ability to stay in the daily top 10s in their home countries. We’ve often noted that if a show appears for 30 days or more, it’s almost a surefire candidate for renewal. In the case of The Lady’s Companion, it only spent 26 days (via FlixPatrol) in the Spanish daily top 10s. Of course, a high turnover of shows can play a role here, but the fact that it came under that 30-day limit doesn’t paint the series having strong longevity.
Are you disappointed that The Lady’s Companion won’t be returning for a second season? Let us know in the comments down below.
