Since its launch roughly two years ago, Disney Plus has been fairly restrained when it comes to canceling original shows. Compared to streaming rivals Netflix, which has come under fire for being extremely trigger-happy with cancellations, Disney Plus original series are usually given plenty of time to find an audience.
This level of leeway isn’t limitless, however, and Disney Plus appears to have run out of patience with one of its earliest original shows, Diary of a Future Present. The show’s creator, Ilana Pena, took to Twitter to confirm that Disney will not be moving forward with a third season of the comedy-drama series.
💖💖💖 #diaryofafuturepresident pic.twitter.com/Vnbiq0GhRLDecember 13, 2021
In her statement, Pena said: “We would love to continue telling this story, but I am filled with so much gratitude for the 2 seasons that we did get to make.” She also expressed her thanks to the cast, crew and fans for their passion and dedication shown across the show’s two-season run.
Diary of a Future President first hit the streaming service in January 2020 and ran for 20 episodes total. The family-friendly show followed Elena Canero-Reed, a young Cuban American girl, as she attempts to navigate middle school while also aspiring to become a future President of the United States. Tess Romero played Canero-Reed, with Gina Rodriguez playing the imagined future presidential version of the character.
The cancellation of Diary of a Future President comes shortly after another series was axed at Disney. The streamer's misguided reboot of Turner & Hooch also won’t be returning. Disney Plus canceled the show after just a single season, which would suggest the viewing figures for Turner & Hooch were very soft.
Disney Plus definitely has a long way to go before it earns a reputation for rash cancellations like Netflix. But these two quickfire cancellations clearly display that the House of Mouse will be ruthless with its streaming platform when deemed necessary. This approach is understandable, but we do hope quality shows continue to be given time to find a solid viewer base.
While we may not be seeing any more Diary of a Future President on Disney Plus, there’s still plenty of fresh content hitting the platform in the coming months. The Book of Boba Fett is launching over the holidays, and there are dozens of Marvel projects in the pipeline as well. Subscribers less interested in sci-fi or superheroes will be pleased to know that High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is getting a third season set to premiere in 2022.
As for what else is going on in TV, outside of Disney Plus (and the family friendly content), this week's big event is The Bachelorette season 18 finale. And the big talk in movie land right now is the fan demand for Amazing Spider-Man 3.
And going into 2022, Tom's Guide feels Disney Plus really needs to give us something to talk about.
