Streaming giant drives a stake through the heart of its zom-com

Netflix has cancelled its horror comedy Santa Clarita Diet after three seasons.

The show starred Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as parents Joel and Sheila Hammond  getting through their suburban life, despite Sheila’ bloodlust after she transformed into a zombie.

Creator Victor Fresco and executive producer Tracy Katsky said in joint statement: ‘Like our audience, we were all-in on Sheila and Joel. Their relationship, in the face of incredible adversity, was inspiring to write and to watch.  Mostly, they were funny, which in a comedy is important.

‘Netflix took at chance on this odd show and for that we will always be grateful. They were supportive, ever positive, and appreciative of our work.  Until about noon today.

‘Still, they were just one phone call away from being a perfect studio. Not bad. Everything ends. This was a thing. And so it ended. We’ll miss it but are proud of the work we did and will always appreciate the love and enthusiasm we felt from our audience.’

Olyphant said: ‘I loved working on this show. I’m going to continue coming in and doing scenes. If they don’t want to film it, that’s up to them.’

In their own statement, Netflix said: ‘The world had never known a "zom-com" until Santa Clarita Diet, the streaming giant said in a statement – surely overlooking Shaun Of The Dead. ‘And we're indebted to creator Victor Fresco for bringing this idea to Netflix.’

Although the streaming giant never releases audience numbers, the show scores well on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 89 per cent rating among critics and 87 per cent among viewers.

The show launched on February 3, 2017, and each of the three seasons comprised ten episodes.

Published: 27 Apr 2019