Fans of Netflix’s Cuban-American sitcom One Day at a Time were heartbroken to hear that after three seasons, the show was cancelled due to a lack of views. But fans are hoping there’s a way for the show to move platforms.
After the third season premiered, Netflix made it clear that the show was in danger of being canceled, perhaps as a way to drive up traffic. Shortly after, the streaming service officially announced that the show was cancelled. The show’s creators put out a heartfelt statement after:
https://twitter.com/MikeRoyce/status/1106247358960955392
For Netflix’s part, they released a statement with the following from their chief content officer Ted Sarandos:
“It’s been a great honor to work with the legendary Norman Lear on One Day at a Time. I’ve personally spoken with Norman and co-creators Gloria Calderón Kellett and Mike Royce to express my gratitude to them, all the writers, the dedicated crew and the cast, including the brilliant Justina Machado and dazzling Rita Moreno, for creating a series with such humor, heart and humanity. This was a very difficult decision, and we’re thankful to all the fans who’ve supported the series, our partners at Sony and all the critics who embraced it. While it’s disappointing that more viewers didn’t discover One Day at a Time, I believe the series will stand the test of time.”
Fans were pretty upset at the news, wondering if there would be a way for the show and it. While the show is under Netflix’s restrictive contract, the showrunners are looking for any legal way to make a deal with a network. Even Lin-Manuel Miranda is tweeting all the major networks to see if he can spark interest.
If you’ve never seen the show, it follows the Alvarez family headed up by Penelope, the matriarch who returns from the Army to deal with the changes in her family, including two kids and her mother. The show deals with PTSD and mental health in the Latino community, LGBTQ issues, and the tight bonds formed by family.
Now, it is surprising that Netflix would cancel this show given the high amount of good will it has, as well as the exceedingly high ratings. They’ve renewed less watched and less well-received shows like Insatiable (which was a pretty critical flop) and they’ve also spent an inordinate amount of money to bring back Friends, even though they would only have the license for another year.
Still, there’s always hope that it might get scooped up by a network and continue its very well-loved story and characters.
