Tuca & Bertie‘s creator revealed how Netflix informed her that the show had been canceled. The day the announcement came down, there was an outpouring of concern from fans, and then they targeted their ire at the streaming giant. Lisa Hanawalt, of Bojack Horseman fame, is the woman behind the series and she sat down with Wired to talk about the upcoming season on Adult Swim. During the conversation, she pointed out that word of the cancellation was actually handed down a month before the general public knew. From there, it was a long sequence of trying to see if another network wanted to continue the show. Luckily the adult programming block was down to feature the extended adventures. But, Hanawalt admits that many shows aren’t nearly as lucky.
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“I was disappointed, obviously,” she began. “I do think it was an algorithm thing, and I don’t think algorithms should make decisions. I knew about it for a month before I could tell anyone. It was hard to sit with that news alone. When we announced it, I expected people to say, ‘Ah, well, that happens.’ The fact that people were as upset as I was felt cathartic, because it really did feel unfair. It was nice to have fans banging the drum. For months they wouldn’t let up.”
“Not every show that is on Netflix can go to another network,” Hanawalt added. “It was just a full year of back and forth with lawyers figuring out whether or not we could continue.”
Earlier this year, I wrote about the fan reaction to the new season and the idea of algorithms determining which shows get renewed on multiple streaming platforms.
“A lot of conversation around the initial cancelation seemed to surround Netflix’s algorithm and the pitfalls of that system. (For example, Tuca & Bertie didn’t even get recommended to its creator when she logged on the service?) But, over time, we’ve seen that happen to a number of shows that were canceled before their time. Now, with these sorts of fan movements, nothing is really gone forever if you want it badly enough. It’s only right that the fanbase gets to take their victory lap after two years of hoping and wishing.”
“A Change.org petition was created in an effort to save the show, but those pleas fell on deaf ears over at the streaming giant. Now, with Adult Swim stepping in, Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong’s characters can continue their quest through messy 30-year-old trials and tribulations. To say that its a celebration online, would be an understatement.”
What are you looking forward to in Tuca & Bertie Season 2? Let us know in the comments!
