Why Midnight Gospel Season 2 Didn’t Happen Explained By Creator

The Midnight Gospel showrunner Duncan Russell explains why the acclaimed animated show was recently canceled by Netflix after only season 1.

The Midnight Gospel showrunner Duncan Trussell explains why the show was canceled. Created by Trussell alongside Adventure Time's Pendleton Ward, the adult animated series, The Midnight Gospel, began airing on Netflix in April 2020. The show centers on Trussell's spacecaster Clancy Gilroy, who lives on Chromatic Ribbon, a planet between a colorful void where computers are used to simulate universes and harvest resources. In every episode, Clancy travels across planets, conducting interviews based on real audio from Trussell's own The Duncan Trussell Family Hour podcast. Each episode features a new guest and concludes with a catastrophic occurrence that Clancy somehow manages to escape.

All eight episodes of The Midnight Gospel were met with glowing reviews from critics, who praised not only its vibrant aesthetic, but also its dissection of philosophical paradoxes. Some even drew parallels with Rick and Morty, pointing out the similarities between the shows' animation and irreverent approach to hard-hitting themes. Trussell wanted to continue the show with The Midnight Gospel season 2, diving deeper into its lore and expanding the simulated universe for Clancy. But in June, Netflix cancelled the show despite its positive reception and without citing any viewership figures.

Now, Trussell explains to Inverse why The Midnight Gospel season 2 did not happen. The showrunner explains that the decision came down to financial prospects. Netflix was looking for a show that could foster a huge fanbase, and although The Midnight Gospel did manage to attract a cult following, the overall interest was just not enough to warrant a season 2. Read what Trussell said below.

“Well, you know, it's Netflix. I think that they're like fishing, right? So they're throwing out a lot of lines. They want to catch a Stranger Things and that's how they do it. So with The Midnight Gospel, even though it has a wonderful big fan base, it's not like the mega fan base of Stranger Things. So if I had to guess it would just be a simple business decision. Animation is expensive, and that's why they did it. I have no hard feelings, by the way, because they let us make the thing. It's cheesy to say, but they were the coolest executives I've ever dealt with. They were so collaborative in the best way possible.”

One big reason why so many Netflix shows like The Midnight Gospel are canceled after season 1 is that the streamer doesn't use the pilot model. Instead, Netflix orders shows straight to series, gauges interest from subscribers, and decides the fate of series after their freshman run based on viewership metrics. What's more, unsurprisingly, the streaming giant has made its viewership criteria stricter recently. Netflix lost nearly 1 million subscribers in Q2 this year, which caused over 150 employees to lose their jobs. There has subsequently been some budgetary slicing, with shows that do not meet the cut quickly being axed.

The issue of quick cancellations is more predominant with underperforming big-budget shows like Jupiter's Legacy and Cowboy Bepop. Netflix such projects to enjoy a staying power akin to its more popular hits like Stranger Things and Bridgerton, and when the shows do not deliver, the service doesn't wait long before deciding their fates. As for animated shows, as Trussell mentions, there is a certain price tag, and when the turnover is not sufficient to justify the production costs, a red light becomes the more logical decision. This is something Trussell understands, and he respects Netflix for their support and collaboration in The Midnight Gospel season 1. That said, the show still had more ground to cover, and it is disappointing that Trussell did not get a chance to explore the depths of Chromatic Ribbon the way he wanted. The show was afflicted by the same financial curse as other Netflix animated projects, like Castlevania, Q-Force, and Tuca & Bertie, and it seems that future ventures on the streamer may not be able to escape this pattern — at least as long as Netflix subscriptions continue to struggle.

Source: Inverse