Dark Comedy Netflix Show With 91% Rotten Tomatoes Deserves More Than One Season

Netflix offers an extensive collection of dark comedies and adult-oriented animated series, many of which deserve multiple seasons. Over time, Netflix has developed a vast library of films and TV shows catering to diverse tastes and demographics. Among its animated offerings, you’ll find plenty of family-friendly content and children’s titles, but also stories suited for mature audiences.

Netflix has achieved significant success with its adult-oriented animated series, but it’s also had some less successful ventures. Among Netflix’s most acclaimed adult animated shows are “BoJack Horseman” and “Big Mouth,” each running for six and eight seasons respectively. However, not all of Netflix’s top-tier animated shows have had long runs, with some being cut off after only one season. The 2020 show “The Midnight Gospel,” despite its success, was unfortunately canceled after just one season.

The Midnight Gospel Was Unlike Netflix’s Other Animated Shows

The Midnight Gospel Stood Out

Originating from the minds of Pendleton Ward and Duncan Trussell, “The Midnight Gospel” is derived from episodes of Trussell’s podcast “The Duncan Trussell Family Hour“. The series unfolds in a realm known as the Chromatic Ribbon, where we find our protagonist, Clancy Gilroy (voiced by Trussell), who operates an unauthorized multiverse simulator. This device allows him to journey through various peculiar and perilous worlds that are on the brink of destruction. Throughout his travels, he engages in conversations with some of the inhabitants of these strange planets, gaining insights into their unique predicaments. At the end of each episode, Clancy returns to his own planet.

Clancy’s interviews draw inspiration from those featured in Trussell’s podcast, incorporating actual audio clips with a few additional elements. What truly set The Midnight Gospel apart from other Netflix adult animated series was its unique blend of animation style and the profound subjects it explored. These topics ranged from philosophy, spirituality, existentialism, magic, and transcendence, to recreational substance use, diverse viewpoints on death, forgiveness, love, family dynamics, life cycles, and numerous other themes.

In a somewhat peculiar fashion, the animation often used in this show harmonizes with the conversation and subject matters discussed during the interviews. At times, it aligns directly, while other instances are more symbolic. Consequently, each episode of The Midnight Gospel becomes an engaging journey, sparking deep reflection for viewers on diverse topics.

Why The Midnight Gospel Was Canceled After 1 Season

The Midnight Gospel Is Eight Episodes Long

The animated series, “The Midnight Gospel,” has been highly acclaimed by critics and currently boasts a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, along with an impressive 89% score from the Popcornmeter. Critics appreciated its animation, insightful discussions, unique themes, and overall high quality, particularly singling out the final episode, “Mouse of Silver,” for special praise. However, despite its widespread success and positive feedback from both critics and audiences, “The Midnight Gospel” was unexpectedly canceled after only one season. While no explanation was provided when the cancellation was announced, creator Clarendon Ness-Trussell later revealed more about the decision.

In an interview with Inverse in 2022, Trussell explained that the reason behind cancelling The Midnight Gospel was primarily due to financial considerations. Animation is costly, and despite the show not garnering a large enough audience to warrant producing additional episodes, it usually takes multiple seasons to develop a strong fanbase. However, it’s worth noting that building a strong fanbase often requires more than one season. Simultaneously, AdWeek reported that The Midnight Gospel was cancelled at a time when Netflix was experiencing financial difficulties and had also terminated other animated projects like Centaurworld and The Twits.

Netflix Hasn’t Done Anything Like The Midnight Gospel Again

Netflix Has Many Adult Animated Shows, But None Like The Midnight Gospel

Regrettably, “The Midnight Gospel” hasn’t been renewed for another season and it seems unlikely that it will in the future. Netflix hasn’t produced anything quite like it since its cancellation. At the time of “The Midnight Gospel’s” end, Netflix had shows like “Big Mouth,” “Castlevania,” “Final Space,” “Disenchantment,” and “Love, Death & Robots,” among others, but none have delved as deeply, philosophically, or trippily as “The Midnight Gospel.” Although “Love, Death & Robots” has come close to it.

If given additional seasons, “The Midnight Gospel” could have explored a broader range of themes and animation styles, offering viewers a unique experience with each episode. Whether Netflix will produce another series like this remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the show merited much more than just eight episodes.

2025-06-06 00:27