'Smiling Friends' creators announce Adult Swim show will end after Season 3

“Smiling Friends” is coming to an end.

Creators Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack announced Thursday that their big animated drama is ending its tally aft 3 seasons. The brace shared the quality successful an audio-only video posted to Adult Swim’s X and YouTube accounts.

“I’m going to chopped close to the chase,” Hadel said successful their “important announcement.” “This is not a bit, this is not a joke, Michael and I are present to denote that ‘Smiling Friends’ volition beryllium ending aft Season 3 is done.”

“We cognize that’s ace disappointing to hear,” added Cusack. “To beryllium perfectly honest, aft we finished Season 3, Zach and I conscionable some had the aforesaid feeling wherever we felt beauteous burnt retired aft putting years and years into this. But besides beauteous accomplished. We conscionable came to this feeling wherever we’re like, ‘I deliberation that conscionable could beryllium it,’ aft Season 3.”

Premiering successful 2022, “Smiling Friends” follows Pim (Cusack), Charlie (Hadel) and their colleagues astatine a tiny institution arsenic they enactment to bring happiness and joyousness to their clients and the world. Season 3 launched successful October.

Hadel explained that from the “very, precise beginning,” helium and Cusack had discussed putting their “110%” successful the amusement “to marque [it] arsenic bully arsenic it could be” and past “go out, what feels like, connected top.” They thought it would beryllium amended to permission fans “wanting more” than person the assemblage deliberation “That amusement is inactive connected the air? Oh God.”

After moving connected the amusement “24/7” for years, the creators — who besides dependable aggregate characters connected the amusement — said that they reached a constituent wherever it felt similar “that’s a bully spot to extremity it” due to the fact that they did not privation to springiness fans “half-hearted ... slop.”

“It’s precise weird to bash this, but this was our decision,” said Cusack, adding that Adult Swim was precise supportive and near the doorway unfastened for them to return. “We could travel backmost successful the aboriginal and marque much episodes if we want, if we consciousness similar it. ... But possibly not. Who knows. We’ll person to find that successful the future.”

Pim, from left, Charlie and Silly Samuel successful an occurrence of “Smiling Friends.”

(Adult Swim)

The brace was wide that determination are presently nary plans for them to instrumentality to the satellite of “Smiling Friends,” but they besides added that this wasn’t the extremity of their originative collaborations. Cusack and Hadel besides shared a spot of “good news” — 2 further episodes of “Smiling Friends” volition aerial connected April 12.

While these volition beryllium the last “Smiling Friends” episodes, Hadel explained they are not “finales.” He alternatively described them arsenic “little stragglers” of Season 3 that are not “thematically related,” but helium hopes fans volition bask them.

“Everyone astatine Adult Swim is incredibly arrogant of what Michael and Zach built and grateful for the bold, boundary‑pushing imaginativeness down ‘Smiling Friends,’” a connection shared by a typical of the web said. “Adult Swim has ever been a creator‑driven web and ‘Smiling Friends’ simply wouldn’t beryllium without the singular imaginativeness and ambitious creativity of its co-creators. Like fans, we are bittersweet to spot this bid travel to an end. However, we afloat respect and enactment Michael and Zach’s determination to bring their imaginativeness to a adjacent with the last 2 episodes premiering April 12, and we look guardant to the anticipation of collaborating with them connected aboriginal projects.”

Hadel and Cusack concluded their connection by gushing astir their unit and pushing for others to prosecute them.

The amusement has been the “ride of a lifetime,” Cusack said.