As Netflix continues to inundate us with new films and TV shows almost daily, it seems some things have to fall by the wayside to make room.
Unfortunately, Santa Clarita Diet is one such show, as the streaming service has announced its third season will also be its last.
The show was created by Victor Fresco, who has worked on many TV shows such as My Name Is Earl and Better Off Ted. It starred Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as a couple of real estate agents struggling to cope when Drew’s character, Sheila, becomes a zombie and starts craving human flesh.
Check out the trailer for season three here:
Many people were surprised by Netflix’s decision to cancel the show, especially given the reputation of the cast and crew attached to it.
In a statement, via The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix said:
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.
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.
Some fans have speculated that the third season would be the show’s last anyway, as teasers and posters have hinted at Olyphant’s character also becoming a zombie, as poster tag lines read ‘Til Death?’.
Speaking about the cancellation, Victor Fresco and executive producer Tracy Katsky said:
Like our audience, we were all-in on Sheila and Joel. Their relationship, in the face of incredible adversity, was inspiring to write and to watch. Mostly, they were funny, which in a comedy is important. Working with Drew and Tim, along with the immensely talented Liv [Hewson] and Skyler [Gisondo], was a joy and a once in a lifetime experience.
Netflix took at chance on this odd show and for that we will always be grateful. They were supportive, ever positive, and appreciative of our work. Until about noon today. Still, they were just one phone call away from being a perfect studio. Not bad. Everything ends. This was a thing. And so it ended.
We’ll miss it but are proud of the work we did and will always appreciate the love and enthusiasm we felt from our audience. It if was up to them, Sheila and Joel would continue for another 10,000 years.
Drew Barrymore said:
Of all of the characters I’ve ever been, Sheila Hammond is one of my favorites. She and Joel were an amazing couple, who had shared goals. And I am lucky to have worked along side Tim Olyphant.
It was an honor to get to do something so delightful. Sheila lives forever in me. And I am grateful to Victor Fresco, who created a world so unique.
While Olyphant added:
I loved working on this show. I’m going to continue coming in and doing scenes. If they don’t want to film it, that’s up to them.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via stories@unilad.co.uk
Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.