“Smiling Friends” is coming to an end.
Creators Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack announced Thursday that their adult animated comedy is ending its run after three seasons. The pair shared the news in an audio-only video posted to Adult Swim’s X and YouTube accounts.
“I’m going to cut right to the chase,” Hadel said in their “important announcement.” “This is not a bit, this is not a joke, Michael and I are here to announce that ‘Smiling Friends’ will be ending after Season 3 is done.”
“We know that’s super disappointing to hear,” added Cusack. “To be perfectly honest, after we finished Season 3, 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 just could be it,’ after Season 3.”
Premiering in 2022, “Smiling Friends” follows Pim (Cusack), Charlie (Hadel) and their colleagues at a small company as they work to bring happiness and joy to their clients and the world. Season 3 launched in October.
Hadel explained that from the “very, very beginning,” he and Cusack had discussed putting their “110%” in the show “to make [it] as good as it could be” and then “go out, what feels like, on top.” They thought it would be better to leave fans “wanting more” than have the audience think “That show is still on the air? Oh God.”
After working on the show “24/7” for years, the creators — who also voice multiple characters on the show — said that they reached a point where it felt like “that’s a good spot to end it” because they did not want to give fans “half-hearted … slop.”
“It’s very weird to do this, but this was our decision,” said Cusack, adding that Adult Swim was very supportive and left the door open for them to return. “We could come back in the future and make more episodes if we want, if we feel like it. … But maybe not. Who knows. We’ll have to determine that in the future.”
The pair was clear that there are currently no plans for them to return to the world of “Smiling Friends,” but they also added that this wasn’t the end of their creative collaborations. Cusack and Hadel also shared a bit of “good news” — two additional episodes of “Smiling Friends” will air on April 12.
While these will be the final “Smiling Friends” episodes, Hadel explained they are not “finales.” He instead described them as “little stragglers” of Season 3 that are not “thematically related,” but he hopes fans will enjoy them.
“Everyone at Adult Swim is incredibly proud of what Michael and Zach built and grateful for the bold, boundary‑pushing vision behind ‘Smiling Friends,’” a statement shared by a representative of the network said. “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.”
Hadel and Cusack concluded their message by gushing about their crew and pushing for others to hire them.
The show has been the “ride of a lifetime,” Cusack said.
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