Smiling Friends Cancelled: Creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel to End Series After Season 3

Creators and stars Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel announced that smiling friends cancelled the series after its third season, a choice they described as theirs to make and one driven by exhaustion after years of work. The pair revealed the news in a recorded message posted to the network’s social feed and confirmed two unreleased Season 3 episodes will air April 12.

Smiling Friends Cancelled: creators’ announcement on the network’s social feed

In a recorded message posted to the network’s social account, Hadel opened by saying, “I’m gonna cut right to the chase, ” and that “This is not a bit, this is not a joke. ” Both Hadel and Cusack, who also star in the show, delivered the message together and framed the decision as a deliberate end after completing Season 3.

Creators cite burnout and a desire to leave on a high

Cusack said that after finishing Season 3 they felt “pretty burnt out” but also “pretty accomplished, ” and that the feeling led them to conclude it might be time to stop. Hadel said from the beginning they wanted to put “110%” into the series and “go out on top, ” adding they would rather leave viewers “wanting more” than continue while “half‑hearted” or burnt out.

Two unreleased Season 3 episodes set for April 12 and aren’t finales

The creators announced that two unreleased Season 3 episodes will air April 12 on the network. Hadel described those instalments as “not big finales” but as “little stragglers” or “little rogue planets out there, ” and said they were not thematically related to serve as a series finale. Season 3’s eight episodes completed their run on the network on November 30, with the season having launched in October.

Earlier renewals and the show’s premise and reach

The series had previously been picked up for additional seasons beyond three, but Cusack and Hadel said they made a conscious choice to stop at Season 3. The project debuted in 2022 and centers on co‑workers Charlie, voiced by Hadel, and Pim, voiced by Cusack, who try to bring positivity into other people’s lives. Season 3 features Pim, Charlie, Flint and the rest of the cast in increasingly outlandish scenarios as they pursue that mission.

Network reaction, future options and the creators’ next steps

Cusack said ending the show was “our decision” and that the network had been very supportive, telling them to take a break and that they could return to make more episodes if they chose. The network issued a statement praising the co‑creators’ singular vision and boundary‑pushing creativity, saying it was sad to see the series end while fully respecting and supporting the decision and looking forward to possible future collaborations. Cusack and Hadel also noted they will continue to work together, and had recently teamed with producer Aron Fromm to launch Zam Studios, an independent animation studio based in Los Angeles.

Thanks to fans and an open door for future episodes

Both creators thanked fans for embracing the show, with Cusack calling the experience “the ride of a lifetime. ” They emphasized that while they are ending the series now, the option to return remains open if they feel moved to make more episodes in future, and urged that the talented crew they worked with find new opportunities.