Highly-rated Disney Plus show American Born Chinese canceled after one season
The show was great, but reports say viewing figures just weren’t good enough
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Despite a star-studded cast and a host of rave reviews, Disney has decided against making a second season of its excellentAmerican Born ChineseDisney Plusshow.
Last Friday (January 5),Varietyreported that, according to “an individual with knowledge of the decision”, Disney executives loved the action-fantasy comedy series, but weren’t enthused by its viewing numbers. Indeed,American Born Chinese, which debuted on one of the world’sbest streaming servicesin May 2023, didn’t bring in a big enough audience for it to be worth a second outing.
There is some potentially good news for fans hoping it gets another life elsewhere, however. Variety also suggested its producers plan to shopAmerican Born Chineseto other streamers and broadcasters in the hope of continuing the series executively produced by Destin Daniel Cretton, whoMarvelfans will know as the director ofMCU Phase 4movieShang-Chi.
American Born Chinese is a critical hit, if not a commercial one
Based on the coming-of-age graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang,American Born Chinesewas a critical hit that – perhaps inevitably – drew comparisons with 2023 Best Picture Oscar winnerEverything Everywhere All At Oncedue to its incredible action sequences, sense of humor, and the presence of beloved actor Michelle Yeoh.
At the time,The New York Sunsaid “while not nearly as cohesive or bold asEverything Everywhere,American Born Chinesedoes offer unique depictions and insight”. Elsewhere,The Ageadded “the vibrant fight scenes update wuxia martial arts movies – imagine Stephen Chow circaKung Fu Hustle– and as is often the case, here the welcome ambition mostly outweighs flaws in the execution.”
ScreenHubreached back to the 1990s and the 1970s for its comparison, saying: “American Born Chineseis moreBuffy the Vampire SlayerthanMonkey, predominantly focused on the very mortal concerns of teenagers to whom the everyday ups and downs of life can seem like a cavalcade of catastrophe to rival any war in heaven”.
The Wraptold readers it “delivers a fun and imaginative take on how it feels to exist with a foot in two different worlds, whether that’s as the child of immigrants or as the immortal heir to a celestial dynasty”, whileThe San Jose Mercury Newsopined that “the snappy screenplay, acute observations on what it is like to be an Asian American teen in a mostly white school, and martial arts action contribute in making this a fast-paced, addictive show with wonderful cameos and supporting appearances.”
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With little in the way of commercial success,American Born Chineseis just the latest in a long line of Disney Plus failures to be axed.The Muppets Mayhemwas the most recent Disney Plus show to be canned, while Disneyremoved dozens of TV series on Disney Plus and Huluin May 2023 – ironically just one day beforeAmerican Born Chinesedebuted on the service.
The entertainment behemothalso deleted Disney Plus original movieCraterfrom its primary platform less than two months after its own streaming-exclusive debut. Seems likeNetflixhas got serious competition for who can cancel and/or remove the most in-house projects from their streaming services, doesn’t it?
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Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir,Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock bandUnquiet Mind.
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