Netflix upended the entertainment business by successfully moving into nearly every genre — scripted dramas, comedies, stand-up specials, documentaries, reality shows and feature films. But one type of programming has proved tricky for the streaming giant: the talk show.

In the last two years, Netflix has canceled three shows in the genre: “The Break With Michelle Wolf,” “The Joel McHale Show With Joel McHale” and “Chelsea.” Two other Netflix talk shows — “Norm Macdonald Has a Show” and “The Fix,” starring Jimmy Carr, D. L. Hughley and Katherine Ryan — haven’t generated much buzz.

Part of the problem may be that talk shows make for an awkward fit with streaming.

From Johnny Carson to Trevor Noah, talk show stars have bonded with audiences by riffing on current events. Netflix and other streaming services, on the other hand, have won over viewers mainly through binge-worthy programming that has no real expiration date.

“Late-night hosts usually make jokes off of the day’s events, and people have to watch them pretty soon,” said Jeff Ross, the longtime executive producer for Conan O’Brien. “When you’re at Netflix, people can wait a month and maybe it just doesn’t hold up. A daily show, how do you binge that?”