Fans of Kim's Convenience who were devastated by the beloved Canadian sitcom's cancellation are asking Netflix to save season 6, but unfortunately its future is out of Netflix's hands. Star Simu Liu recently opened up about the joys and frustrations of working on the show, and explained why neither CBC nor Netflix can make season 6 happen.
Kim's Convenience is based on the stage play of the same name by Ins Choi, and is based on his own experience growing up in Toronto's Korean Canadian community and working in a convenience store. The TV adaptation debuted on CBC in 2016, with Ins Choi serving as showrunner alongside Kevin White. Original stage cast members Paul Sun-Hyung Lee ("Appa") and Jean Yoon ("Umma") made the jump to the TV show, while Liu was cast as their son, Jung, and Andrea Bang cast as their daughter, Janet.
Though TV show cancellations are often a network decision made due to falling ratings, Kim's Convenience being cut short had nothing to do with a lack of popularity. It was a ratings hit, and with Liu set to star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings later this year, interest in Kim's Convenience will surely grow even more. The show's cancellation was due to Choi and White deciding to move on from it, and the other producers deciding that the show couldn't be made without them. In a statement announcing that Kim's Convenience would end with season 5, the producers wrote, "we have come to the difficult conclusion that we cannot deliver another season of the same heart and quality that has made the show so special." Since the producers - not CBC or Netflix - own the show's IP, season 6 cannot be made without their support.
Kim's Convenience ending has been a source of great friction between the cast, who were very keen to make season 6 happen, and the producers, who have shut down those efforts. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee told the Calgary Herald he was "ghosted" by Choi, who stopped talking to him entirely, and that the show "died from within." Liu, who has been outspoken about his anger and disappointment over Kim's Convenience ending prematurely, said in a Facebook post that the cast members - several of whom are trained screenwriters - had pushed to be given a voice in the writers room even before the show was cancelled, but had been repeatedly shut down. This was especially frustrating given that the cast was made up of Asian Canadian actors, but the production team was (with the exception of Choi) "overwhelmingly white."
Strays, a spinoff show based around the character of Shannon (Nicole Power), is coming to CBC in 2021-2022, but don't expect a reunion with Jung. Liu said that while he has no bad feelings towards Power, he remains "resentful of all of the circumstances that led to the one non-Asian character getting her own show" - a sentiment shared by many fans of Kim's Convenience, who appreciated it for its rare portrayal of a Korean family and community. "Not that they would ever ask," Liu wrote. "But I will adamantly refuse to reprise my role in any capacity." While it's certainly sad that Kim's Convenience ended on such a bitter note, at this point it may be best for the cast to put it behind them and move on to new projects.