Netflix brings back hit series 5 years after it was axed

As much as we appreciate Netflix for all it's done for us over the years (see: churned out some of the best series known to man, like Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things, and Wednesday), there have been times when we've gotten a little mad with the streaming platform. Mostly, when it axes popular shows when we least expect it (Picture: ABC)

But sometimes it takes ditching a show for bosses to realise that it was a huge mistake. The phrase 'you don't know how good something is until it's gone' comes to mind. This is the case for Scandal, a political thriller that was available to watch on Netflix from 2014 to 2020. The show originally aired on ABC from 2012 to 2018, lasting seven seasons. So when it ended, the streaming platform took the initiative to host it themselves (Picture: ABC)

For those unfamiliar with the premise, it stars Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope, who is partially based on former president George H. W. Bush's administration press aide Judy Smith. Smith also served as a co-executive producer on the show in a bid to ensure the real-world-style situations were portrayed in a faithful light (Picture: Danny Feld/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

Created by Shonda Rhimes, the brains behind Grey's Anatomy, Inventing Anna, and Bridgerton to name a few, Washington's character is introduced as a former White House Communications Director who starts her own crisis management firm. Over the course of the seasons, Olivia, along with her powerful team of lawyers, handles government crises and works to make scandals disappear. All while dealing with their own personal problems, of course. Did we mention Olivia has a complicated past with the president? (Picture: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

Scandal was so popular that it won numerous awards during its run. This included major gongs from the Primetime Emmys and Critics' Choice Television Awards. The show was also nominated for plenty of others, including People's Choice Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Golden Globes (Picture: Craig Sjodin/Lori Epstein/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images)

Now, after five long years, fans in the US are able to rewatch the show in full, as Netflix has added all seven seasons back to its archive. As for those in the UK, Scandal will not be making its way onto the British version of the platform. However, it is available on Channel 4's free streaming service, so who are the real winners? (Picture: AP)

Fans and critics alike have all sung Scandal's praises over the years. Over on Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregation website, its Tomatometer has a near-perfect 93%. This encompasses all of the critics' reviews. The Popcornmeter, home to testimonials from viewers, also holds an impressive 72%. Season 2, which boasts a 95% score, received plenty of rave reviews. Jessica Breaux from TV Equals said it 'kept [her] guessing and left [her] wanting more,' while John Stanley from the San Francisco Chronicle penned: 'Rhimes keeps the plot twists and turns coming in each intriguing episode' (Picture: ABC)

As for the general viewers, they also had a lot to say. One viewer gushed: 'Twists and turns around every corner. Manages to outshine season 1,' as someone else echoed: 'Scandal dares to take things further than you would expect,' going on to spotlight Kerry Washington as the 'highlight of the series.' They continued: 'Her forceful and strong persona moulds into this role but she can still add a sense of emotion, love and loss. Washington's performance is so remarkably real and her commitment to the role is evident. She gives the audience exactly what they want and how they want and can pull off the big twists again adding the sense of reality to them and not making them seem soap opera-ish.' Scandal is now streaming on Netflix and Channel 4 (Picture: Craig Sjodin/Shondaland/Abc/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)