Because Netflix hates good things, the streamer has canceled Santa Clarita Diet after three seasons.
“The world had never known a ‘zom-com’ until Santa Clarita Diet, and we’re indebted to creator Victor Fresco for bringing this idea to Netflix,” a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement. “To their endless credit, the incredible Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant were totally game, with an uncanny knack for comedy that brought Sheila and Joel Hammond to vibrant life, even though one of them was undead. We’re grateful to Victor, Drew, and Timothy, along with fellow executive producers Tracy Katsky, Aaron Kaplan, Chris Miller and Ember Truesdell and the terrific cast, including Liv Hewson and Skyler Gisondo, and crew for three hilarious seasons for Netflix members to discover for years to come.”
The series starred Drew Barrymore as a real estate broker transformed into a zombie and Timothy Olyphant as her husband. While Netflix hadn’t previously announced that Santa Clarita Diet would be ending with season three (which launched March 29), promotional materials for the latest batch of episodes hinted at a fatal decision. The trailer teased that Olyphant’s character could become undead as well, enabling him and his wife and fellow realtor Sheila (Barrymore), whose undead transformation early in season one set the series in motion, to spend eternity together. Posters for season three posed the question “Til Death?”
The cancellation arrives as Netflix continues to carefully review its internal data as it makes renewal decisions. The streamer, which spends upwards of $8 billion on original, typically has to take on added costs as series age. Netflix most recently pulled the plug on the critically acclaimed comedy One Day at a Time after three seasons after the streamer could not work out a new deal with owners/producers Sony TV.
