Santa Clarita Diet Creator Details The Heartbreaking Way He Knew The Netflix Series Was Cancelled

Santa Clarita Diet creator Victor Fresco recalls the heartbreaking way he learned of the show’s cancellation. Debuting in February 2017, and running for three seasons on Netflix, Santa Clarita Diet focuses on a married couple that is regular in every way except for one crucial detail. The wife, Sheila Hammond (Drew Barrymore), begins to crave human flesh. The horror sitcom also starred Timothy Olyphant, Liv Hewson, and Skyler Gisondo. As one of the relatively early streaming series, prior to the arrival of Disney+ and Apple TV+, the comedy was met with solid initial reactions and garnered largely positive reviews.

In a feature for The Guardian, which looks at TV show cancellations and how the creators responded, Fresco details his decision to end Santa Clarita Diet on a cliffhanger. He explained that he had a feeling that Netflix would cancel the series and didn’t want to make that decision any easier:

“We didn’t want to make it easier for them to cancel us. We thought ‘Why are we doing their work for them?’”

Fresco also discusses about being “blindsided” by the cancellation of Santa Clarita Diet, recalling how he was in the process of editing season 3 when he learned from an assistant producer that the sets were being dismantled. “That’s how I heard it was definitively not coming back,” he said. In the quote below, Fresco also talks about why it was an uphill battle to get to season 4 and how that connects to pay bonuses that a renewal would trigger:

“It was explained to us that you don’t have to be popular with everybody. This was one of the appeals: just find a niche audience.”

“You really have, at best, a three-year run [unless you’re a] monster hit. If you look closely at your deal, you’ll see that there’s a huge disincentive for them to order seasons four and five because they’re really making a big payout then.”

It Reintroduces A Consistent Issue

One of the common defenses of streaming cancellations is that it’s fundamentally nothing new. Decades earlier, broadcast networks would sometimes cancel a show and shelve the remaining episodes only a few weeks after a disappointing premiere. While that is undoubtedly true, it also ignores the fundamental differences in how TV viewing has changed.

In the current environment, with plenty of different entertainment options, a new show does not have the same opportunity to stand out.

Broadcast networks, unlike streaming, are limited to relatively few timeslots to put a show on its schedule. This means, at least in theory, every show has a somewhat equal chance of finding an audience. This is nothing like Netflix, which released more than 500 new titles in 2024 alone. In the current environment, with plenty of different entertainment options, a new show does not have the same opportunity to stand out.

Drew Barrymore drinks blood with a straw in Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix

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Looking at Santa Clarita Diet specifically, which was boosted by critical acclaim and a loyal following, Fresco argues that it wasn’t quite enough to justify a renewal and the pay increases that would follow. This speaks to why very relatively few streaming shows get to have the extended runs that are commonplace for broadcast networks like CBS, ABC, and NBC. It likewise reinforces that modest and mid-level shows face a tough battle even if, as Fresco says, they’ve found their niche.

Our Take On Santa Clarita Diet’s Cancellation

It’s Worth Looking At What Netflix Does This Year

Netflix is celebrating that huge hits will return in 2025, including Wednesday, The Night Agent, and the final episodes of Squid Game and Cobra Kai. But one thing to keep track of is whether Netflix will have room for several mid-level and modest series that may not attract the most frequent headlines but command a loyal following. Even going back to Santa Clarita Diet‘s cancellation in 2019, the biggest streaming service might have been missing out on its stated advantage of wanting hits of all sizes rather than favoring the originals with the broadest appeal.

Source: The Guardian