Smiling Friends to End After Season 3 as Creators Cite Burnout

Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel announced that Smiling Friends will conclude after its third season, a decision the creators framed as deliberate and linked to creative burnout. The pair also revealed two unreleased Season 3 episodes will air April 12 at 11 p. m. ET.

How the announcement was delivered and what the creators said

Cusack and Hadel revealed the decision in a video posted to the network’s social account. Hadel opened the message by saying, “I’m gonna cut right to the chase, ” and stressed, “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. ”

Cusack said that after finishing Season 3 they both felt “pretty burnt out after putting years and years into this, but also pretty accomplished, ” and that they came to the conclusion “I think that could just be it, ” after Season 3. He described the choice as “our decision. ”

Two final Season 3 episodes set for April 12 at 11 p. m. ET

The creators said two unreleased Season 3 episodes will air on April 12 at 11 p. m. ET. Hadel clarified these installments are “not finales, ” calling them “little stragglers” or “little rogue planets out there” that didn’t make it into the initial season rollout, and said they were created as part of the season that launched in October.

Why Cusack and Hadel chose to stop after Season 3

Both creators used the word burnout and framed the decision as a quality control choice: they said they “do not believe they could continue the series without compromising its quality. ” Hadel said from the start they wanted to give the show “110%” and “go out on top, ” preferring to leave the audience wanting more rather than running the series half-heartedly. Cusack warned they wouldn’t want to hand the project off to other creatives, noting they’re “so control freak-y over it. ”

Hadel added bluntly that they “wouldn’t want to be doing more seasons half-hearted or burnt out or not feeling it, ” calling it unfair to both the creators and the audience to produce what he called “fucking slop. ” Cusack acknowledged the announcement would be disappointing to fans and described making the recording as “very hard, ” while thanking viewers for being “the best” and calling the run of the series “the ride of a lifetime. ”

The show’s run, prior pickup plans and the creators’ earlier intentions

The animated project debuted in 2022 and centers on co‑workers Charlie, voiced by Zach Hadel, and Pim, voiced by Michael Cusack, who attempt to bring positivity into other people’s lives. The series had previously been picked up for seasons four and five, but late in the week the creators said they had decided to end the show with Season 3.

Earlier this season, Cusack and Hadel had told interviewers they had already written two new episodes for a new season and imagined they might evaluate continuing after season five. Cusack joked that “even our agents think we’re going to go to season 80, ” and likened the idea of ending at a peak to the Beatles finishing with Abbey Road. Both said they know what’s best for the show.

Support from the network and the possibility of revisiting the world

The creators said the network has been very supportive, telling them essentially to “go have a break” and that if they aren’t feeling like making a cartoon the network wouldn’t stop them. Cusack said the network also told them they could come back in the future and make more episodes if they wanted to, though he added, “maybe not. Who knows?”

Both Cusack and Hadel left the door open to returning to the series universe in a different form, saying they might collaborate on future projects together and that they’ve left “the door slightly open to a special or something along those lines. ” They also said they would be open to working together on other projects.

Notes on perspective and a byline detail

The creators emphasized that ending the series was a choice tied to preserving quality rather than a hard refusal to ever return. Vritti Johar is identified in one context item as an Entertainment and Pop Culture writer at Evolve Media who covers a wide range of engaging content, has a fascination with filmmaking, and explores the world through art and photography.