Earlier this year, Adult Swim fans had to say goodbye to Smiling Friends, which came as quite a shock to many viewers for multiple reasons. Despite Adult Swim renewing the show for five seasons total, creators Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack made the decision to end production following season three. In creating the world of Pim and Charlie, the co-creators have long felt that they would need to end the show before they “lost the spark” in animating this world. Recently, Cusack confirmed that there is a possibility of season four actually coming to Cartoon Network, though we might be waiting for some time.
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In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cusack confirmed that they had drafts that were created for the fourth season, and there’s a possibility that the showrunners might return: “We had scripts ready for season four, even if it was draft-y. In a few years, if Zach and I feel like making the show again, we’ll dig them out and see if they’re worth making or if we want to start fresh again.” While story details regarding what the likes of Charlie and Pim would have been up to in this non-existent fourth season remain a mystery, the idea that we might one day see it animated is sure to be big news for the Adult Swim franchise.
The Smiling Friends’ Aftermath
On top of Cusack hinting at a potential future release that would continue the Smiling Friends’ story, Hadel went into more detail regarding why the decision was made to pull the plug on season three. Zach confirmed that it wasn’t “burnout” that ended the series, but rather the possibility of burnout: “The biggest misconception is people thinking that we were creatively burnt out, or we didn’t have any ideas. That’s the opposite of true. It’s hard for people to understand because, when you’re watching Family Guy or South Park, it’s like, “But [Smiling Friends] is half the length of those.” We had a much smaller budget and much, much, much smaller crew.”
Luckily, even though Smiling Friends is over at the moment, this doesn’t mean that the creators are retiring from the entertainment industry. Michael Cusack is working on a brand new animated series for Netflix titled Dad’s House, a show focusing on a divorced dad and his son trying to strengthen their relationship. As for Hadel, he is still making regular appearances on the popular YouTube channel, OneyPlays, which made a name for itself with hilarious gaming videos wherein Zach added his commentary alongside his fellow co-hosts. Even if Smiling Friends never returns, Cusack and Hadel are keeping busy, and the legacy left by Charlie, Pim, and their fellow surreal cast members won’t soon be forgotten.
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