Netflix ends comedy after saving it from Peacock
BPE no more. After three seasons, “Girls5Eva” has been canceled for the second time – this time by Netflix.
The musical comedy’s first two seasons streamed on Peacock from 2021 to 2022; When Peacock decided not to continue, Netflix stepped in to renew the series for a third season, which aired in March 2024.
The comedy, created by Meredith Scardino and produced by Tina Fey, followed a ’90s girl group who reunited and tried to revive their career after being given an unexpected second chance. Sara Bareilles, Busy Philipps, Paula Pell and Renée Elise Goldsberry starred in the series, which received critical acclaim for its fast-paced humor and catchy, satirical original songs.
Although many expected the series to be a success on Netflix, it did not. Variety TV editor Michael Schneider recently dissected a possible reason, pointing to the title and noting that many who scroll through Netflix don’t stay on a tile long enough to understand a show’s context.
Phillips recently confirmed the cancellation news on her podcast ‘Doing Her Best’. ‘It’s dead. Yes. I’m just saying it because, fuck it. If Netflix doesn’t do it, I will. I don’t think enough people have looked at it or looked at it in the way that matters, or I don’t know. I just don’t know,” she told guest Danny Pellegrino.
She added that Netflix “hasn’t said anything about how the deal was structured when it went to Peacock for the second season,” nor has it said that it was actually completed.
‘So there’s time. I don’t think it will ever be dead-dead. The characters are too good,” she continued. “I even joked with the cast, like, we should do Radio City or make it a live show – a musical, maybe even Broadway one day.”
She also commented on the name, hinting that this could be part of a problem. “I think the name ‘Girls5Eva’ is great and completely justified, but I think it has the potential to alienate men, like heterosexual guys. Has anyone ever done any research on how women’s titles affect the success of shows?
