Smiling Friends Cancelled: Creators End Adult Swim Series After Season 3, Two Final Episodes Set for April 12
Smiling Friends cancelled after three seasons, creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel announced in a message posted on Adult Swim’s X account. The decision carries immediate consequences: two unreleased Season 3 episodes will air April 12, even as the show’s future beyond that date remains deliberately open.
Smiling Friends Cancelled: Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel Announce End
In a direct on-camera and audio message, Zach Hadel began bluntly—“This is not a bit, this is not a joke”—and together with Michael Cusack confirmed the series will end once Season 3 is complete. The pair said the choice was theirs: Cusack framed it as “our decision, ” and both emphasized they reached the conclusion after finishing the third season.
Adult Swim’s Response and Statement
Adult Swim has expressed support for the creators’ call. Network representatives said they were proud of what Cusack and Hadel built and that they respect the decision to bring the show to a close, while noting they would welcome future collaboration. The creators said Adult Swim told them to take a break if they weren’t feeling like making cartoons and that the network would not stand in the way of a return should they choose to make more episodes later.
Two Unreleased Season 3 Episodes Set for April 12
Although the eight-episode Season 3 concluded its Adult Swim run on Nov. 30, Cusack and Hadel announced that two remaining Season 3 episodes will premiere on April 12. The creators were careful to say these are not finale episodes but “little stragglers” or “little rogue planets out there, ” material produced as part of the season that launched in October rather than a thematic capstone.
Creative Reasons: Burnout, Control and the Decision to Stop
Both creators pointed to sustained exhaustion as the proximate cause: after “years and years” of work, they said they felt burnt out even as they felt accomplished. Hadel described an early aim to give the show “110%” and to “go out on top, ” preferring to leave the audience wanting more rather than continuing while creatively spent. They also said they would not want to hand the project to other creators—Cusack called himself “control freak-y” about the series—choosing instead to end on terms they control rather than risk producing half-hearted work that would shortchange viewers.
What makes this notable is that the decision comes despite earlier network commitments: the show had previously been picked up for two additional seasons, and at one point the co-creators had already written two episodes for a prospective new season. The contrast between external renewals and the creators’ choice underscores a rare instance where internal creative limits overrode contractual momentum.
Show Origins, Performance and Next Steps: Williams Street, HBO Max and Zam Studios
Smiling Friends debuted in 2022 and centers on co-workers Charlie, voiced by Hadel, and Pim, voiced by Cusack, along with characters such as Flint and the rest of the ensemble as they try to spread positivity. The series is produced by Williams Street and has been a strong performer on HBO Max—counted among Adult Swim’s top titles on the streamer outside of Rick and Morty.
Looking ahead, the two creators said they will continue to work together. They and producer Aron Fromm recently launched Zam Studios, a Los Angeles-based independent animation studio. Adult Swim’s statement left open the possibility of future collaboration, and Cusack noted they could return to make more episodes if they wanted to do so. The creators have also encouraged other shows to hire members of the Smiling Friends crew.
In public remarks over the years, the duo said they expected to evaluate how they felt after further seasons and acknowledged outside expectations that the show could continue for many years. For now, they are stepping away: two unreleased Season 3 episodes will air on April 12, and the series will otherwise pause with its third season as the final chapter for the moment.
