Netflix Series Gets Canceled For A Second Time
Tuca & Bertie has officially been canceled after spending two seasons on Adult Swim.
Netflix is the usual culprit when it comes to canceling shows, especially those of animation variation. One such show was Tuca & Bertie, which the streamer had canceled back in 2019, however, Adult Swim stepped in to save the series, only to now have canceled it after spending seasons 2 and 3 on the network. This cancelation could have stemmed from the public outcry of one of the lead actors, Tiffany Haddish, as her recent accusations of grooming and child sexual abuse led to many of her opportunities being canceled as well.
The pair that had been suing Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears ultimately ended up dropping the lawsuit, but we would assume that the public opinion of Haddish might still be suffering from the horrific accusations that she had received during that time. Tuca & Bertie might also just not have been popular enough to save, though the series saw a big uptick in viewership during its second season.
Adult Swim had reported that Tuca & Bertie saw an increase in viewership for teen viewers in the 12 to 17 age range by 65%, and also saw an increase in viewership by 38% for young female audiences aged 18 to 24. However, despite audiences latching on to the bird companions, Adult Swim saw it necessary to give the series the ax. It is also not that uncommon for Adult Swim to get rid of shows that aren’t as popular as the rest of their huge lineup.
The executive producer of Tuca & Bertie, Lisa Hanawalt, commented on the series’ cancelation. She stated that “I still have a beautiful and weird ending to T&B in mind, hopefully someday we’ll get the chance to finish this story.” The series was saved by Adult Swim, so another brave network could step in to allow the series to have its proper ending, though it might be time to let it go.
Again, the public opinion of Tiffany Haddish might take some time to recover, so Tuca & Bertie might not be given a proper ending for quite some time. Still, Hanawalt seems confident enough that the series could be given its ending at some point in the future. The typical nature of the most popular canceled animated shows is to come back and end stories via a movie, though we are not sure if that is something that Hanawalt is wanting to do.
For now, fans can watch the first season of Tuca & Bertie on Netflix, and the remaining two seasons can be streamed on HBO Max. Maybe if fans flock to watch the series, it could see some sort of revival on another network. Given the fact that it has been canceled by two networks, it might also not seem that appealing to other streamers right now.
Animation is just having a tough time at most networks and streamers, as many shows that include Tuca & Bertie have been canceled plenty in recent months. Adult Swim does have Rick & Morty, so the network’s attention is likely focused on the clear money maker, leaving Tuca & Bertie to fall by the wayside for now. However, popular animated shows on Adult Swim like Metalocalypse and The Venture Bros. are about to be revived via movies, so anything can happen.
