The Canadian series Anne with an E has been cancelled, prompting fans to rally for a renewal. Here's why Netflix and CBC decided to call it quits.
The Canadian series Anne with an E has been cancelled, prompting fans to rally for a renewal. Based on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables, the CBC-Netflix adaptation was developed for television by former Breaking Bad writer-producer Moira Walley-Beckett. Here’s why Anne with an E was cancelled after three seasons.
Anne with an E stars Amybeth McNulty as Anne of Green Gables, a chatty and endearing orphan who’s adopted by elderly siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. Over three seasons, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert grows fond of her home at Green Gables, and forms strong friendships while pursuing her creative interests. Anne with an E season 3 originally aired from September to November 2019, and released in full on Netflix in January 2020. The third installment follows Anne’s journey to college, along with her pursuit of love interest Gilbert Blythe. Aside from the focal storyline, Anne with an E explores themes of gender, race, familial legacies, and individuality. Anne with an E seasons 1 and 2 earned Canadian Screen Awards for Best Drama Series.
The CBC and Netflix announced Anne with an E’s cancellation in November 2019, one day after the season 3 finale aired. Given the show’s acclaim and loyal fanbase, the hashtag #renewannewithanE began trending on Twitter. But not everybody knew why Anne with an E had been officially cancelled, or whether there would be a continuation elsewhere. The series’ fate was foreshadowed in early October 2019 when CBC President Catherine Tait expressed her displeasure with Netflix (via Financial Post), and implied that Canadian interests were the top priority.
“A number of countries have done deals, as we did, with Netflix … and over time we start to see that we’re feeding the growth of Netflix, or we’re feeding the growth of Amazon, rather than feeding our own domestic business and industry.”
After the creation of change.org petitions and social media campaigns, the primary reason for Anne with an E’s cancellation was revealed by CBC’s general manger of programming, Sally Catto, in 2019. Even though the series was a favorite amongst younger viewers, the Netflix viewership numbers didn’t reflect a strong fanbase amongst older CBC and Netflix viewers in the 25 to 54 age range. Catto noted that "They [viewership numbers] unfortunately didn't lift enough… They just weren't reaching our specific target" (via CBC).
Netflix has provided a link to Anne with an E fans who want to make a renewal pitch; however, some believe that Twitter bots were responsible for much of the original cancellation backlash (via CBC). Whatever the case, Anne with an E’s creator, Walley-Beckett, has revealed that she’s interested in making a feature film. After all, the Anne with an E season 3 finale marks a new chapter in the title character’s life and teases a brand new story about life beyond Green Gables. But as much as die-hard fans love the show, financials are ultimately the bottom line for producers. Still, it seems likely that one of the many high-profile streaming services will bring Anne with an E back to life.
