Why One Day at a Time has been canceled
It seems that it is not so much low ratings that has led to the end of One Day at a Time but a change of direction for Pop. In recent years, the network has moved away from original scripted series after it joined a new division of parent company ViacomCBS.
Though the show got perhaps its biggest ever hit with Schitt’s Creek, Pop did not follow it up with any new scripted shows. This meant that One Day at a Time was the last scripted show on the network, meaning it was probably only a matter of time before the network canceled the series.
However, ratings may have also had something to do with the fact that the show is not moving to another ViacomCBS channel. Though the show did OK on TVLand and got what Deadline called “modest” ratings on CBS when it was replayed on the channel, these were clearly not enough to warrant the show moving to one of these channels for ODAAT Season 5.
The original cancelation of One Day at a Time was so controversial that a Netflix staff member actually defended the streamer’s decision in public, something they very rarely do.
At 2019’s Code Conference, Netflix vice president of content Cindy Holland said of the show: “The basic calculation is, how much viewing are we getting for what it costs? We also look at, is it reaching different audiences? Is it gaining critical acclaim? Is it doing something for us as a business that we like?… We wouldn’t have renewed that show on a viewing-to-cost basis.”
She later added, “and it would grow a little bit, but we just couldn’t find the broad audience we hoped it could get and it deserved to get. And so, after three seasons, we decided to end it.”
The second cancelation may have come as a surprise to its makers, who had Season 4 cut short by the pandemic. Showrunner Gloria Calderón Kellett told Deadline last month: “We have so many beautiful episodes…We have so much more to tell, and especially with everything that’s going on in this world, every day.
“This family, we have so much for them to go through still.”
In reaction to the news, Kellett tweeted: “I’m not sad just yet, y’all. We still have some hope for new homes. Hang tight, my loves. You know that if I go down, I will go down swinging for this show (& cast & crew) I love.”
One Day at a Time Seasons 1 to 3 are streaming now on Netflix; Five episodes of Season 4 are streaming now on CBS All Access.
