Goodbye to ‘Smiling Friends’: the creators themselves decide to cancel the iconic Adult Swim animated series

It’s a sad day for fans of adult animation. ‘Smiling Friends’, one of Adult Swim’s most notable productions alongside ‘Rick and Morty,’ is saying goodbye for good. This is not a cancellation by the network, but rather the express decision of Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack, its creators. Although they previously revealed that they did not want the series to go on too long, ‘Smiling Friends’ will finally say “goodbye” after three seasons and two additional episodes that have yet to be released.

‘Smiling Friends’ bids farewell: the creators want to avoid burning out and stretching the series too thin

Thursday, February 26, was the day ‘Smiling Friends’ received its death sentence, delivered by its very own creators, Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel. Adult Swim’s X account posted a six-minute video in which the creators of the popular series explained their reasons for ending their creation. Broadly speaking, they don’t want to burn out working on it indefinitely despite its enormous critical and commercial success, choosing instead to focus on their own personal health and stability, as well as avoiding a decline in quality by stretching it out too long.

The reasoning draws a clear parallel with one of the longest-running animated series on television: ‘The Simpsons.’ On previous occasions, Cusack and Hadel have already expressed their concern about unnecessarily stretching out their creation, speaking openly about what is happening with Matt Groening’s series and the decline in quality and repetition of jokes that has been widely documented. Therefore, instead of extending it for dozens or hundreds of episodes, the creators of ‘Smiling Friends’ planned to pull the plug before reaching ten seasons. Ultimately, there will only be three seasons and two extra episodes that would have corresponded to the fourth season, but which will premiere as separate special episodes on April 12, 2026.

‘Smiling Friends’ is a surreal animated comedy series for adults. In it, Smiling Friends is an NGO whose purpose is to put a smile on the faces of everyone who hires its services. Its protagonists are Pim and Charlie, two low-level employees who find themselves immersed in all kinds of adventures in pursuit of meeting their quota. They are supported by other characters such as Allan, Glep, and the Boss, the eccentric founder of the organization. Its meta-narrative humor, experimental animation combining different artistic styles, and visual jokes that are as macabre as they are unexpected have made it one of Adult Swim’s most highly rated productions.

Although it is a difficult decision, the creators of ‘Smiling Friends’ have decided to make a clean break and retire at the top. Instead of prolonging their creation indefinitely, with the consequent risk of a decline in quality, they have opted to give it a dignified ending that leaves their fans with a good taste in their mouths. We can only imagine what new and crazy adventures Charlie, Pim, and company might have had, but at least we will be left with fond memories of one of the most relevant and celebrated adult animated series of recent years.

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