When the animated comedy series Tuca & Bertie premiered on Netflix last summer, viewers were immediately taken by the sometimes poignant, always hilarious depiction of life from the perspective of millennial birds. Despite the success of the show, the streaming giant pulled the plug on the project, limiting its potential with only one season. Fortunately for us, the adventures of Bird Town are far from over; in fact, one could say that they’re just beginning.
Today, The Hollywood Reporter announced that the adventures of Tuca (voiced by Tiffany Haddish) and Bertie (Ali Wong) would in fact continue — just not on Netflix. Following its shocking cancellation in 2019, Tuca & Birdie has been picked up for another 10-episode season set to air on Adult Swim. Given the often-adult subject nature of the show, Tuca & Birdie will be in good company at a network that also hosts titles like Black Jesus, Family Guy, and The Boondocks.
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Many of Netflix’s most beloved original series have faced surprising cancellations — fans of The Get Down and Anne with an E are still rioting to this day — but Tuca & Bertie is only the second show to be rescued from total annihilation. One Day at a Time (a reboot of Norman Lear’s 1970s sitcom reimagined to follow the lives of a middle class Cuban-American family) was dropped from the lineup after three successful seasons with no real explanation. Yes, it was eventually revived on CBS-owned comedy network Pop TV, its fourth season reuniting us with the lovable and relatable personalities of the Alvarez family, but Netflix’s decision to not renew One Day at a Time is a reflection of the platform’s unfortunate tendency to not invest in series featuring people who aren’t straight or white.
Luckily, Tuca & Bertie has escaped the fate of so many other defunct Netflix projects. Creator Lisa Hanawalt is ecstatic that her show will be given a second chance, especially since it really should never have been axed in the first place.
“I’ve been a fan of Adult Swim shows since my teens,” she shared in a statement about the good news. “So I’m thrilled to bring my beloved fowl to the party and be a new voice for a fresh decade of absurd, irreverent, yet heartwarming adult animation.”
Season two of Tuca & Bertie will arrive on Adult Swim in 2021.
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