Milly Gaines
Santa Clarita Diet was a popular Netflix show that ran for three seasons from 2017 to 2019. The horror-sitcom starred Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a married couple of real estate agents whose lives take a dark turn when Sheila dies and becomes undead with a craving for human flesh. Despite critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase, the show was cancelled due to a complicated budget model and less-than-expected viewership. While there are no current plans for a revival, the show's creator Victor Fresco has expressed interest in a fourth season, and with a strong cult following, a return may be possible in the future.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of cancellation | 26 April 2019 |
| Number of seasons | 3 |
| Creator | Victor Fresco |
| Streaming service | Netflix |
| Genre | Horror sitcom, zombie comedy |
| Main cast | Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant, Liv Hewson, Skyler Gisondo |
| Plot | A married couple, Sheila and Joel Hammond, face a series of challenges when Sheila becomes undead and craves human flesh |
| Reason for cancellation | Complicated budget model, low viewership |
| Chances of revival | Possible, but not in the near future |
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What You'll Learn
Santa Clarita Diet's cancellation
Santa Clarita Diet was cancelled by Netflix in 2019, after three seasons. The show's creator, Victor Fresco, recalled the heartbreaking way he learned of the show's cancellation, sharing his view on why season 4 didn't happen. He said that he and everyone involved in the show would have loved to do a fourth season to provide closure for fans.
The show's producer, Tracy Katsky Boomer, also expressed sadness about the cancellation, stating that they all loved making the show. Despite its critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase, Santa Clarita Diet's fate was sealed due to a complicated budget model. Netflix decides on investment amounts based on the expected audience turnout, and if the audience doesn't show up, they reconsider continued investment. While Netflix doesn't release viewing figures, it's speculated that Santa Clarita Diet's viewership wasn't high enough to outweigh the production costs.
The show's abrupt ending left fans disappointed, especially with the third season's cliffhanger ending. In the final moments, Sheila and Joel Hammond, played by Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant, were enjoying domestic life before Joel was attacked by a flesh-eating spider that crawled into his ear. This unresolved ending, along with the show's humour and storytelling, led to online petitions with hundreds of thousands of signatures from fans hoping for a revival.
While there's a possibility of a revival if viewership warrants it, the likelihood seems slim. Barrymore is currently busy with her talk show, and Olyphant has gained attention for his role in The Mandalorian. However, Fresco has shared some insights into what a potential fourth season could have entailed, including exploring Joel's undead journey and his attitude towards Sheila's condition.
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The show's cult following
Santa Clarita Diet has garnered a strong cult following since its debut on Netflix in 2017. The zombie comedy series has become a beloved gem for fans, with its dark humour, thrilling storyline, and stellar performances by Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. The show's unique blend of horror, comedy, and heartfelt family dynamics has kept viewers engaged, even years after its conclusion.
The series centres on husband and wife real estate team Joel and Sheila Hammond, whose mundane lives change dramatically when Sheila shows symptoms of having become a zombie. The bewildered family seeks a cure for her condition while dealing with its consequences, such as Sheila's new craving for human flesh and her radically altered personality, which has become more primal and impulsive.
The show received generally positive reviews from critics, with an approval rating of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes for its first season and an average rating of 7.20/10. The site's critical consensus praised the show's excellent cast, frequent laughs, and engaging premise but noted that the level of gore might not be to everyone's taste. The second season also received positive reviews, with an approval rating of 89% and an average rating of 7.85/10.
Despite its success and acclaim, the series was cancelled after three seasons, with the third season ending on a shocking note and leaving fans desperate for answers. Reports suggest that the cancellation was due to rising production costs and Netflix's tendency to prioritise new content over long-running series. However, Netflix has revived shows in the past due to fan demand, and there has been speculation about a possible revival of Santa Clarita Diet in early 2024. The show's creator, Victor Fresco, has also shared details of what he wanted to do with the plot for the fourth season, and the cast has expressed a willingness to return.
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The possibility of a revival
Santa Clarita Diet was cancelled in 2019 after three seasons, leaving fans disappointed and frustrated by the cliffhanger ending. The show's creator, Victor Fresco, has shared his disappointment about the cancellation and revealed that he had many ideas for the fourth season. He also stated that the cast and crew would love to do a fourth season to provide closure for the fans.
Despite the show's critical acclaim and loyal fanbase, Netflix decided to cancel the show due to a complicated budget model and low viewership. Netflix has a history of cancelling shows that do not bring in high enough viewership to justify the investment, and they have been known to hide their viewership data, making it difficult to determine the true success of a show.
However, there is still a possibility for a revival of Santa Clarita Diet. In recent years, there have been several examples of shows being revived after a long hiatus, such as The X-Files and Star Trek: The Next Generation. If there is enough demand from fans and if the cast and crew are willing to return, Netflix or another streaming service could decide to revive the show.
Fresco has stated that he has many ideas for where he would like to take the show if it were to be revived, including exploring Joel's undead journey and his relationship with Sheila. The show's loyal fanbase has also demonstrated their dedication through online petitions, indicating that there is still interest in the show.
While there are no current plans for a revival, fans can hold out hope that one day they will get to see what happens next to the Hammonds and find out the answers to the burning questions left by the show's abrupt ending.
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The show's plot and characters
Santa Clarita Diet is an American horror-comedy sitcom created by Victor Fresco for Netflix. The show stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a married couple who work as realtors in Santa Clarita, California, and their teenage daughter.
The show centres around the couple's lives, which take a dark turn when Sheila dies and becomes a zombie with a craving for human flesh. Despite her undead state, Sheila looks and feels healthier than ever. The show follows the couple as they try to navigate their new reality, including finding people for Sheila to eat, and attempting to find a cure for her condition.
The show's creator, Victor Fresco, has stated that the zombie angle allowed him to explore the concept of narcissism, with the undead being the ultimate narcissists, wanting what they want when they want it, and not caring about other people's needs. The show's setting in Santa Clarita was chosen due to its middle-class residents, and the main characters' profession as realtors allowed them to be "out in the world" and explore the "forced friendliness" of the job.
The show also features a range of supporting characters, including their daughter Abby, and her classmate Eric, whose relationship was developing interestingly at the end of the series. Other characters include Andrei Novak, the principal of Santa Clarita High School, Ramona, a wise Rite-Aid employee who is also a zombie, and Winter, a classmate of Abby and Eric's who is in the environmental club with them.
Santa Clarita Diet received generally positive reviews from critics and built a strong cult following. Despite this, the show was cancelled after three seasons due to a complicated budget model, leaving fans disappointed and wanting more.
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Netflix's cancellation of the show
Netflix's cancellation of Santa Clarita Diet came as a surprise to many fans, leaving them disappointed and upset. The show, a zombie comedy-drama starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant, had built a strong cult following and received praise for its humour and storytelling. Despite its critical and fan acclaim, Netflix pulled the plug on the series after three seasons, ending with a cliffhanger that left fans wanting more.
The decision to cancel the show was attributed to Netflix's "cost-plus" budget model, where the company pays for a show's production costs upfront, plus a premium of 30% or more. With each new season, the budget increases, and in the case of Santa Clarita Diet, Netflix felt there was no viable reason to continue investing in the show. Netflix's head of original content, Cindy Holland, confirmed that the decision to cancel a show hinges on whether the company is getting enough bang for its buck.
The cancellation of Santa Clarita Diet is not an isolated incident, as Netflix has a reputation for abruptly cancelling shows, leaving their catalogue full of half-finished series. This has led to criticism that the streaming service is quick to greenlight new shows but just as quick to cancel them if they are not an immediate runaway success. The decision to cancel Santa Clarita Diet was especially frustrating for fans as the show had just released its final 10 episodes, and there were plans for an interesting new chapter in the story.
However, there is still hope for fans of the show, as Netflix has revived other cancelled series in the past based on audience demand. Santa Clarita Diet's creator, Victor Fresco, has also expressed interest in bringing the show back for a fourth season to provide closure for fans and explore new plotlines. While the show's return may depend on the availability of the cast and crew, it is not impossible that Netflix could revive the series if viewership and demand make it seem worthwhile.
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Frequently asked questions
Santa Clarita Diet was cancelled in 2019 and there are currently no plans for it to return to TV.
Santa Clarita Diet was cancelled due to a complicated budget model. Netflix's co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, claims that the streamer has never cancelled a "successful" show, and Santa Clarita Diet's viewership numbers were not enough to justify its renewal.
Fans of the show started online petitions to revive the series, garnering hundreds of thousands of signatures.
Victor Fresco shared that he felt "badly" for the fans of the show, and that he had many ideas for the plot and the characters if the show were to be renewed.
While there are currently no plans for a fourth season, fans of the show should not lose hope. The creator, Victor Fresco, has expressed interest in reviving the series, and Netflix has been known to revive cancelled shows in the past.
