'Santa Clarita Diet' Becomes The Latest Cancellation From Netflix

Bad news for fans of the Drew Barrymore/Timony Olyphant zombie comedy ‘Santa Clarita Diet’ —  Netflix has axed the series.  The third season arrived on March 29 and consists of 10 episodes.  Of course, streaming numbers aren’t divulged, but presumably, the new episodes didn’t garner streams on par with previous installments.  Netflix looks at a number of factors, including whether or not viewers watched ALL of the new season.  If fans tuned in for a couple of episodes but didn’t finish, that looks like viewers lost interest.

In its statement, Netflix declared:

“The world had never known a ‘zom-com’ until Santa Clarita Diet, and we’re indebted to creator Victor Fresco for bringing this idea to Netflix.  To their endless credit, the incredible Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant were totally game, with an uncanny knack for comedy that brought Sheila and Joel Hammond to vibrant life, even though one of them was undead. We’re grateful to Victor, Drew, and Timothy, along with fellow executive producers Tracy Katsky, Aaron Kaplan, Chris Miller and Ember Truesdell and the terrific cast, including Liv Hewson and Skyler Gisondo, and crew for three hilarious seasons for Netflix members to discover for years to come.”

Some are startled that ‘Santa Clarita Diet’ was cancelled because of the star power attached, and the fact that it was produced in-house by Netflix itself, meaning that the streaming service didn’t have to pay a hefty licensing fee.

In a joint statement, Fresco and exec producer Tracy Katsky said:

“Like our audience, we were all-in on Sheila and Joel. Their relationship, in the face of incredible adversity, was inspiring to write and to watch.  Mostly, they were funny, which in a comedy is important.  Working with Drew and Tim, along with the immensely talented Liv and Skyler, was a joy and a once in a lifetime experience.  Netflix took a chance on this odd show and for that we will always be grateful.  They were supportive, ever positive, and appreciative of our work.  Until about noon today.  Still, they were just one phone call away from being a perfect studio. Not bad. Everything ends. This was a thing. And so it ended. We’ll miss it but are proud of the work we did and will always appreciate the love and enthusiasm we felt from our audience. It if was up to them, Sheila and Joel would continue for another 10,000 years.”

Last year, after the release of Season 2, Fresco stated that there was still a lot of room to develop, as Season 1 took place over the span of two weeks, and Season 2 did as well.  So only one month into Sheila (Barrymore)’s transformation, there was still a number of possibilities to explore.

Fresco, however, stated that it seems as though Netflix’s current business model is to offer shows for three seasons on average.  Knowing that, he and his writers crafted a Season 3 finale that would work as a series finale, in case the show wasn’t renewed.  (He had previously stated that he saw the show running for at least five.)  “We wanted to leave it hopefully satisfying if we don’t come back but also promising something that could be really interesting to explore if we do come back.”

As for the show’s stars, Barrymore, who also served as executive producer, stated:

“Of all of the characters I’ve ever been, Sheila Hammond is one of my favorites.  She and Joel were an amazing couple, who had shared goals. And i am lucky to have worked along side Tim Olyphant. It was an honor to get to do something so delightful. Sheila lives forever in me. And I am grateful to Victor Fresco, who created a world so unique.”

Olyphant, also an EP, added:

“I loved working on this show. I’m going to continue coming in and doing scenes. If they don’t want to film it, that’s up to them.”

Were you a fan?  Are you sad that Netflix has pulled the plug on ‘Santa Clarita Diet’?

 

Source: The Hollywood Reporter