Posted in: CBC, Netflix, TV | Tagged: Andrea Bang, Andrew Phung, cbc, Jean Yoon, Kim's Convenience, Liu Simu, netflix, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, sitcom, streaming

Kim's Convenience Star Simu Liu Posts Thoughts on Series' Cancellation

CBC's Kim's Convenience is currently the top sitcom in Canada right now and a global hit on Netflix. That's why the news of its sudden and unexpected cancellation came as a shock to everyone, including the cast and crew.

The cast members have taken to social media to express their feelings and gratitude to the show, but it was Simu Liu who offered the longest and most detailed statement of all. His letter, attached to his twitter feed, is reprinted in full below. While gracious and complimentary, it hints at some turmoil that led to the abrupt cancellation.

"For reasons that I'm sure we will get into someday, we must prematurely bid farewell to Kim's Convenience.

I am heartbroken.

I know what you're thinking and, to be clear, I was fully expecting to come back for our sixth season. In fact, I was probably more excited than I've ever been; in many ways I thought Jung would be liberated this coming season, and he would finally get to show some of the growth that I had begged our writers for year after year. It pains me that we will never see the full reconciliation between Jung and Appa. It pains me that we will never see Jung figure out what he wants to do with his life. Most of all, it pains me that we will never see the Kims all together as a family to the bodega that has defined their immigrant journey. I was all in this year. I wanted to be in every episode. I wanted to participate in the writer's room. I wanted to direct an episode.

I feel we deserved better. I feel that you, our amazing fans, deserved better.

Entirely separate from my personal opinions on the termination of the show, however, is the immense pride I feel in all that we achieved. We were Canada's number one family sitcom from the moment we premiered in 2016, and then went on to reach a much larger global audience through Netflix. The whole world tuned in to watch the shenanigans of Appa, Umma, Janet, Jung, Kimchee and Shannon; I'd like to think that our show brought everyone a bit closer together during this incredibly divisive time.

Beyond our critical and commercial acclaim, the show helped launch the commercial careers of so many actors of colour: myself, the amazing Jean Yoon, the lovely Andrea Bang, the hilarious Andrew Phung and of course, the incomparable Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. Remember their names. Call their agents. CAST THEM IN EVERYTHING. Our talent is undeniable, and we are close to being finished.

Thank you to our crew – our camera operators, grips, gaffers, sound techs, prop masters, hair and makeup artists, Ads and so many more – who have worked so hard to make this show great. It's been such a joy to work every day with you. Thank you to our producers and our network for giving us the opportunity of a lifetime. I wish we had parted ways under better circumstances, but it doesn't change all that you have done for myself and our cast.

If Kim's Convenience can stand for anything, let it be that amazing things can happen when ou open the gates and allow more diverse and authentic stories to be told. I hope that we can all embody the legacy and spirit of this show, and fight to uplift BIPOC creatives and storytellers whenever and wherever we can.

Until we meet again,

Simu"

Liu, who is also an accomplished martial artist and stunt performer, will play Shang-Chi in the upcoming Marvel movie Shang-Chi and the Master of the Ten Rings. He released a test video two months ago:

Kim's Convenience is now streaming on Netflix.

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