Smiling Friends fans have fewer reasons to smile as the Adult Swim show comes to an abrupt end.
Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel co-created the project that debuted in 2022 and centers on co-workers Charlie (voiced by Hadel) and Pim (Cusack) attempting to bring positivity into the lives of others. Although The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported in June that the animated series had been picked up for two additional seasons, Cusack and Hadel announced late Wednesday that they had decided to end it with season three.
“This is not a bit,” Hadel explained in a recording posted to Adult Swim’s social media. “This is not a joke. Michael and I are here to announce that Smiling Friends will be ending after season three is done.”
Added Cusack, “To be perfectly honest, after we finished season three, Zach and I just both had the same feeling where we felt pretty burnt out after putting years and years into this, but also pretty accomplished. We just came to this feeling where we’re like, ‘I think that could just be it after season three.’ We both felt like it was right.”
Hadel revealed that the final two episodes of season three will air April 12 on Adult Swim. He emphasized that they are “not big finales” but just “little rogue planets out there” that were created as part of the season that launched in October.
The pair explained that they would not want to hand the project off to other creatives, with Cusack noting, “We’re so control freak-y over it.” According to Cusack, Adult Swim supported the decision to end the show and would allow the pair to revive the project down the road: “We could come back in the future and make more episodes if we want.” He also said that the pair would be open to working together on other projects.
Adult Swim said in a statement, “Everyone at Adult Swim is incredibly proud of what Michael and Zach built and grateful for the bold, boundary‑pushing vision behind Smiling Friends. Adult Swim has always been a creator‑driven network, and Smiling Friends simply wouldn’t exist without the singular vision and ambitious creativity of its co-creators. Like fans, we are sad to see this series come to an end. However, we fully respect and support Michael and Zach’s decision to bring their vision to a close with the final two episodes premiering April 12, and we look forward to the possibility of collaborating with them on future projects.”
During an interview with THR that was timed to the season three premiere in October, Cusack and Hadel said that they had already written two new episodes for a new season. The duo noted that they would evaluate how they felt after season five and envisioned that it might feel right to end the show at that point.
“Even our agents think we’re going to go to season 80,” Cusack said at the time. “Our reps and Adult Swim are like, ‘Surely, we’ll go on forever.’ But Zach and I know what’s best for the show. The Beatles are so cool. They ended with Abbey Road on a peak, and it’s like this nice little discography you can go back to watch. Leaving the audience wanting more is the best.”