
Santa Clarita Diet is a Netflix original horror-comedy series created by Victor Fresco. The show premiered on February 3, 2017, and spanned three seasons before its cancellation on April 26, 2019. Each season consisted of 10 episodes, with a runtime of approximately 30 minutes each. The show received generally positive reviews from critics and fans, with a mix of humour, gore, and a unique premise. Despite its success, the series was cancelled due to Netflix's cost-plus budget model, which takes into account audience turnout and critical acclaim.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Seasons | 3 |
| Number of Episodes | 10 |
| Episode Duration | 26-30 minutes |
| Genre | Horror-Comedy |
| Streaming Platform | Netflix |
| Premiere Date | February 3, 2017 |
| Cancellation Date | April 26, 2019 |
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What You'll Learn

Santa Clarita Diet is a Netflix horror-comedy series
The show premiered on February 3, 2017, with an initial release of 10 episodes and ran for three seasons before being cancelled on April 26, 2019. Each episode is around 30 minutes long. The first season received generally positive reviews from critics, with an approval rating of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 67 out of 100 on Metacritic. The second season also received positive reviews, with an approval rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The show's central message, according to Fresco, is that empowerment is a good thing but that there is a fine line between empowerment and narcissism. He wanted to comment on how people, as a society, can become like zombies, consuming without consequence. Despite its success and acclaim, the series was cancelled after three seasons due to Netflix's "cost-plus" budget model, which takes into account audience turnout and critical acclaim.
The cancellation of the show came as a disappointment to many fans, especially as the third season ended on a cliffhanger. There is a possibility for a revival if viewership makes it seem worthwhile, as Netflix has revived shows in the past based on audience demand.
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Sheila becomes a zombie and craves human flesh
Netflix's Santa Clarita Diet is a black comedy about eating people. The show ran for three seasons and centred on Sheila Hammond (Drew Barrymore), a suburban realtor in Santa Clarita, California, who becomes a zombie and starts craving human flesh.
In the show, Sheila undergoes a metamorphosis, becoming undead and developing a taste for human flesh. Despite her new diet, Sheila does not look like a decaying corpse; instead, she appears vibrant and full of energy. She sleeps for only two hours a night and has a tripled sex drive. Her newfound hunger for human flesh causes some tension with her family, particularly when her daughter Abby realises the extent of her mother's condition—for example, when Sheila eats human brains while the rest of the family is having spaghetti.
Sheila's husband, Joel Hammond (Timothy Olyphant), spends much of the series searching for a cure for his wife's condition, even as he tries to maintain his suburban lifestyle. In the first season, Sheila is "cured", but this only slows her body's and mind's devolution. In the third season, Sheila bites Joel to save him from a magical spider-like creature associated with infection and zombie transformation, and his ultimate fate is left unknown.
Santa Clarita Diet offered a fresh take on the zombie genre, subverting stereotypes and presenting a functional zombie who maintains friendships, a successful career, and a happy marriage.
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Sheila and Joel are realtors in Santa Clarita, California
The show's creator, Victor Fresco, chose the profession of realtors for the couple because it "gets them out into the world" and he liked the forced friendliness inherent to the job. He thought it would be interesting to juxtapose the chaos of Sheila's transformation with the ordered, groomed community of Santa Clarita. The show explores themes of empowerment and narcissism, commenting on how humanity can be consumed by its desires without considering the consequences.
Santa Clarita Diet is a Netflix original horror-comedy series starring Drew Barrymore as Sheila and Timothy Olyphant as Joel. It premiered on February 3, 2017, with 10 episodes and ran for three seasons before being cancelled in 2019. The show received generally positive reviews from critics and fans, who praised its cast, frequent laughs, and engaging premise. However, the level of gore was not to everyone's taste. Despite its success, the series was cancelled due to Netflix's "cost-plus" budget model, which takes into account audience turnout and critical acclaim.
The show's cancellation left fans disappointed, especially as it ended on a cliffhanger with Joel's fate unknown after being bitten by Sheila to save him from becoming a zombie. There is a possibility for a revival if viewership makes it seem worthwhile, and Netflix has revived other shows in the past due to audience demand.
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The show received positive reviews from critics
Santa Clarita Diet received generally positive reviews from critics. The first season received an approval rating of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 7.20/10. Metacritic reports that the first season received "generally favorable reviews" with a score of 67 out of 100, based on 30 critics. The second season received positive reviews as well, with an approval rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and an average rating of 7.85/10. The critical consensus on the site stated:
> "Santa Clarita Diet rides the momentum of its freshman season with non-stop comedic gore and a big heart that bleeds – profusely – for its lovable characters."
The third season was also well-received, with critics praising the chemistry between Barrymore and Olyphant, as well as the show's blend of humour and gore. The website's critical consensus reads:
> "Santa Clarita Diet's third season is a generous meal of entrails, morbid humor, and a touching affirmation of marital love – with Barrymore and Olyphant's pitch-perfect chemistry brightening each blood-soaked installment."
Santa Clarita Diet became a hit with both critics and fans, with one source calling it a "rare horror-comedy loved by both critics and fans". Despite this acclaim, Netflix cancelled the show after three seasons, citing their cost-plus" budget model as the reason. Netflix's decision-making process considers both audience turnout and critical acclaim, and the company has revived shows in the past based on audience demand.
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Netflix cancelled the show after three seasons
Netflix's decision to cancel Santa Clarita Diet after three seasons left fans disappointed, especially since the third season ended on a cliffhanger. The show, starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant, was a hit with critics and fans, blending horror and comedy in a unique narrative about a married couple dealing with one crucial twist: the wife's craving for human flesh after undergoing a metamorphosis.
Despite its success and dedicated fanbase, Netflix opted to conclude the series after three seasons, citing their "`cost-plus` budget model" as the primary reason. Netflix's approach involves paying for a show's production costs upfront, along with a premium of 30% or more of the total expenses. This model often makes future seasons financially challenging unless a show achieves massive breakout success. Santa Clarita Diet, while well-received, may not have reached the heights of popularity required to justify continued investment.
The cancellation of the show highlights a broader pattern observed in Netflix's strategy. The streaming service has a reputation for greenlighting a limited number of seasons to attract new subscribers and then abruptly cancelling shows, leaving fans disappointed and yearning for closure. This pattern has been noted in the cancellations of shows like Lucifer, Manifest, and Warrior Nun, which were also ended despite enthusiastic fan followings.
Santa Clarita Diet's creator, Victor Fresco, expressed his surprise and disappointment at the cancellation, revealing that he learned about it while editing season 3 and hearing that the sets were being dismantled. Fresco also acknowledged the challenges of achieving a renewal for a fourth season, citing the potential trigger of pay bonuses and the disincentive for Netflix to order additional seasons beyond the typical three-season run.
While Netflix has not provided official viewership data, Santa Clarita Diet's third season achieved a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating a positive critical reception. The show's cancellation, therefore, seems to be primarily driven by financial considerations rather than a lack of critical acclaim or audience appreciation.
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Frequently asked questions
Each episode of Santa Clarita Diet is between 26 and 30 minutes long.
There are three seasons of Santa Clarita Diet.
There are 30 episodes in total.
The whole of Santa Clarita Diet is approximately 750 minutes or 12.5 hours long.











































