Tuca and Bertie is back.
In the second deal of its kind, a linear network has revived a Netflix original series. In this case, WarnerMedia-backed Adult Swim has revived the animated comedy from creator Lisa Hanawalt for a second season nearly a year after the show was shockingly canceled by the streamer.
Adult Swim will bring the 10-episode second season of the series from Tornante Co. in 2021 with an option for additional seasons. Tuca and Bertie was canceled after one season at Netflix despite rave reviews for the show and a voice cast featuring breakout comedians Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong. Both, along with co-star Steven Yeun, will return for season two.
Tuca and Bertie is the second Netflix original series to find a new home after cancellation. The multicamera comedy One Day at a Time landed at Viacom-owned Pop following an extensive dealmaking process with producers Sony TV and Netflix. Sources say Netflix was also involved in the deal for Tuca and Bertie and likely had to sign off on a new pact at a linear network.
Original programming created specifically for Netflix typically comes with limitations on where else the show might live in the event of a cancellation. As was the case with One Day at a Time, the show was unable to be sold to another streamer (i.e. a Netflix direct competitor) and landed at Pop with a first window before plans to move at some point in the future to CBS.
Tuca and Bertie debuted May 3, 2019, to strong reviews. The Hollywood Reporter‘s chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg called the series “a colorful, bold and joyful look at female (bird) friendship.” The show, which was canceled a mere two and a half months after its debut, currently has a 98 percent rating among critics and 66 percent rating among viewers on aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.
