Posted in: Adult Swim, TV | Tagged: smiling friends

Adult Swim "Sad" Over Smiling Friends End, Support Creators' Decision

Though "sad" for it to end, Adult Swim respects and supports Smiling Friends' Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel's decision to end the series.

"This is not a bit. This is not a joke. Michael and I are here to announce that 'Smiling Friends' will be ending after season three is done." On Wednesday night, Smiling Friends creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel dropped an announcement that fans were not expecting, especially after the hit Adult Swim series had been picked up for fourth and fifth seasons. A silver lining is that two new Season 3 episodes will drop on Adult Swim on April 12th. As for why they're ending the series, the duo admitted that they've said all they wanted to say and that now was the time to wrap things up before the series became something less than what they envisioned. While they left the door slightly open to a special or something along those lines in the future, for now, the beloved animated series has wrapped. Here's a look at what Adult Swim had to say about Cusack and Hadel's decision:

"Everyone at Adult Swim is incredibly proud of what Michael and Zach built and grateful for the bold, boundary‑pushing vision behind 'Smiling Friends.' Adult Swim has always been a creator‑driven network, and 'Smiling Friends' simply wouldn't exist without the singular vision and ambitious creativity of its co-creators. Like fans, we are sad to see this series come to an end. However, we fully respect and support Michael and Zach's decision to bring their vision to a close with the final two episodes premiering April 12, and we look forward to the possibility of collaborating with them on future projects."

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter shortly after the third season wrapped, Cusack and Handel were asked how long they could see the animated series running (Adult Swim picked up Smiling Friends for two additional seasons ahead of the Season 3 premiere). "We'll see how we feel after four and five, and then Zach and I will get into the war room and decide what the next plan is. We pretty much can guarantee it's not going to go on as much as these other shows," Cusack shared, Hadel added, "Even if we had a thousand ideas at the end of season five, we're not going to go on long. I will say that much. We're not going to put a number up, but five is getting close to probably where we'll want to wrap it up." That doesn't mean that Adult Swim and those close to them aren't pushing for more seasons.

"Even our agents think we're going to go to season 80 [laughs]," Cusack responded. "Our reps and Adult Swim are like, 'Surely, we'll go on forever.' But Zach and I know what's best for the show. The Beatles are so cool. They ended with 'Abbey Road' on a peak, and it's like this nice little discography you can go back to watch. Leaving the audience wanting more is the best." When the interview mentions that Paul McCartney's follow-up band, Wings, "had some good songs," Cusack added, "Yeah, but that was good because it was like a reset. If Zach and I made another show after 'Smiling Friends,' that would be an excuse to be refreshed again. That's why Wings were good because Paul McCartney was like, 'All right, now I can start again.'"

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