You could probably already guess this, but the Good Times animated sequel has been cancelled after one season at Netflix.
The news was first reported by What’s On Netflix. The writing was on the wall for the unfortunate series from the very beginning, with fans of the original 1970s live-action series and critics alike hounding the series for its lazy stereotypes of Black life.
While cast member Yvette Nicole Brown tried to sway critical opinion single-handedly with her tweets supporting the series by saying it “100% lines up with my values,” her efforts obviously didn’t work.
Also starring J.B. Smoove, Jay Pharoah and Marsai Martin, the Good Times sequel did have a few days in the sun in 2024, spending some time at the Netflix US Top 10 list. But even with that accolade, and–according to What’s On Netflix–earning 3.3 million views during the first six months of 2024 and an additional 2.1 million views through the middle of 2025, Netflix decided to pull the plug.
What other Netflix animated series were canceled?
Netflix also reportedly axed two other animated series, Exploding Kittens and Twilight of the Gods.
The Good Times controversy upset not only fans and critics. Stars of the original series BernNadette Stanis and the late John Amos addressed the animated sequel. Amos said at the time that although he hadn’t seen any of the new episodes, “Norman [Lear]–and the entire cast and company–set the bar pretty high. They’ll have a hard time reaching that level of entertainment [and] education. I wish them the best. I see people aspiring to that, but I don’t see anybody reaching that goal, especially in an animated version.”
Stanis also alluded to the fact that the series seemed to just use the name of Good Times to tell a new story with a built-in audience.
“Probably a lot of people don’t know how Hollywood works. A lot of times, you use a certain name to open up the door for a new show. That could be what it is,” she said. “But I’m sure a lot of people will be a little confused at first because they have to think that it’s us. They think, ‘Oh, my God! That’s got to be Thelma, J.J. and Michael.’ And then you come in there, and you don’t see anything like that.”
The Boondocks and Black Dynamite writer and producer Carl Jones also said at the time on X, “For the record I was involved with the Good Times animated series in the VERY beginning but due to creative differences, I had to walk away.”
What did the NACP say about the show?
The NAACP also voiced its concern, saying in a statement that they were denied screeners from Netflix and couldn’t see the full series for themselves, raising their concerns even higher than before.
“We wonder whether the historical relationship between Hollywood and the Black community should create caution about the use of distorted imagery and narratives that further pervert the representation of a people,” said the organization.