“Smiling Friends” is coming to an end.
Creators Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack announced Thursday that their adult animated comedy will end its run after three seasons. The couple shared the news in an audio-only video posted to Adult Swim's X and YouTube accounts.
“I'm going to get right to the point,” Hadel said in his “important announcement.” “This is not a bit, this is not a joke, Michael and I are here to announce that 'Smiling Friends' will end once season 3 ends.”
“We know it's very disappointing to hear that,” Cusack added. “To be completely honest, after we finished Season 3, Zach and I had the same feeling of feeling pretty burned out after putting years and years into this. But also pretty accomplished. We got to this feeling where we were like, 'I think that might be it' after Season 3.”
“Smiling Friends,” set to premiere in 2022, follows Pim (Cusack), Charlie (Hadel) and their colleagues at a small business as they work to bring happiness and joy to their customers and the world. Season 3 was released in October.
Hadel explained that from “the beginning,” he and Cusack had discussed putting their “110%” into the program “to make [it] as good as it could be” and then “come out, what feels like, on top.” They thought it would be better to leave fans “wanting more” than to make the audience think “Is that show still on the air?” Oh God.”
After working on the show “24/7” for years, the creators, who also voice several characters on the show, said they reached a point where they felt “that's a good time to end it” because they didn't want to give fans “half-baked garbage.”
“It's very strange to do this, but it was our decision,” Cusack said, adding that Adult Swim was very supportive and left the door open for them to return. “We could come back in the future and do more episodes if we want, if we feel like it… But maybe not. Who knows. We'll have to determine that in the future.”
Pim, from left, Charlie and Silly Samuel in an episode of “Smiling Friends.”
(Adult swimming)
The couple made it clear that there are currently no plans for them to return to the world of “Smiling Friends,” but they also added that this was not the end of their creative collaborations. Cusack and Hadel also shared some “good news”: two additional episodes of “Smiling Friends” will air on April 12.
While these will be the final episodes of “Smiling Friends,” Hadel explained that they are not “final.” Instead, he described them as “little stragglers” from Season 3 that aren't “thematically related,” but he hopes fans will enjoy them.
“Everyone at Adult Swim is incredibly proud of what Michael and Zach built and grateful for the bold, boundary-pushing vision behind 'Smiling Friends,'” read a statement shared by a representative for the network. “Adult Swim has always been a creator-driven network and 'Smiling Friends' simply would not exist without the singular vision and ambitious creativity of its co-creators. Like the fans, we are sad to see this series come to an end. However, we fully respect and support Michael and Zach's decision to close out their vision with the final two episodes premiering on April 12, and we look forward to collaborating with them on future projects.”
Hadel and Cusack concluded their message by gushing about their crew and pushing for others to hire them.
The show has been the “trip of a lifetime,” Cusack said.
