Adult Swim’s cult animated comedy Smiling Friends is coming to an end. Creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel confirmed the show will conclude after its third season, ending a run that earned the series a devoted global fanbase.
What Happened
Cusack and Hadel broke the news in a video message posted to Adult Swim’s X account. The announcement was direct and personal.
“This is not a bit, this is not a joke,” Hadel said. “Michael and I are here to announce that ‘Smiling Friends’ will be ending after Season 3 is done.”
The creators were quick to frame the decision as their own. Adult Swim, they said, had no part in the call.
Both creators pointed to burnout and a sense of creative completion as the driving forces behind the decision.
“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,” Cusack said.
Hadel added that from the beginning, the pair wanted to give the show everything they had and then step away while it was still at its peak. Dragging the series beyond that point, he said, would do a disservice to both the creators and the audience.
“We wouldn’t want to be doing more seasons half-hearted or burnt out or not feeling it,” Hadel said. “That’s not fair to us, and it’s not fair to the audience to give you guys slop.”
How Adult Swim Responded
The network did not push back. According to the creators, Adult Swim responded with full support when told of the decision.
“When we told them exactly this, they said, ‘You know, if you’re not feeling like making a cartoon, we’re not going to stop you. Go have a break. Either come back or don’t,'” Cusack and Hadel recounted.
The response reflects a broader shift in how some networks are handling creator-led animated projects, allowing showrunners greater control over when and how their work ends.
What This Means for Fans
The announcement caught many viewers off guard. The show had previously received a two-season renewal, leading audiences to expect more content beyond Season 3.
Cusack and Hadel acknowledged the disappointment but said leaving fans wanting more was always preferable to overstaying their welcome. “That show is still on the air? Oh god,” Hadel said, describing the reaction they hoped to avoid.
Despite the finality of the announcement, the creators did not completely rule out returning to the world of Smiling Friends at some point. “We’ll have to determine that in the future,” they said.
What Comes Next
Season 3 of Smiling Friends remains in production. No official air date has been confirmed. Fans can expect the third season to serve as the series finale.
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