Things are less than sunny for the folks at Sunnyside; City has decided not to renew the Canadian sketch comedy series for a second season.
“We are extremely proud of Sunnyside and the 13 episodes of this fiercely original comedy that we were able to bring to our viewers,” a statement sent to TV, eh? on Wednesday read. “It was a privilege to work with the immense talent—both off and on screen —involved in this unique Canadian production. It was a difficult decision, but, despite critical acclaim, the series was unable to connect with the audience it needed to continue. We thank Canadians for their support of Sunnyside and look forward to bringing them more original content in the future.”
The news is a definite buzz-kill for co-creators Dan Redican and Gary Pearson and cast members Pat Thornton, Kathleen Phillips, Patrice Goodman, Alice Moran, Kevin Vidal and Rob Norman; the group captured a Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series (Individual or Ensemble) during Sunday night’s gala, besting This Hour Has 22 Minutes, The Rick Mercer Report and The Second City Project. Sunnyside’s photographer, D. Gregor Hagey, won a CSA for Best Photography in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series and three other nominations.
Filmed in Winnipeg, the series followed the odd folks and characters who called the neighbourhood of Sunnyside home.
I’m disappointed and will miss this show. It was hilarious and I found it amusing how different the actors looked when they dressed up as different characters. I’ve enjoyed Sunnyside while it lasted.
How can great new shows like Sunnyside possibly achieve the coveted audience numbers if networks don’t invest in sufficient advertising and promotion for them? They are competing against the juggernaut of American shows and American ads- why aren’t our country’s broadcasters supporting great Can Con like this?
What a sad day. And what an ominous sign for the future of Canadian television: Great show. Great cast. Adored by critics. Award- winning. And cancelled?!?
Yikes.
So confused… It seems somebody had the vision to greenlight the show, then someone with no nurturing supportive vision stepped in to red light it. Sheesh. Apparently a similar decision was almost made after the first season of seinfeld.
It’s a shame but we have to keep in mind that it’s not about art but commerce. If Moses Zmegalomaniac doesn’t sell enough soap you don’t get a second chance.
Moses Znaimer hasn’t been with City since the mid-2000s. He’s with ZoomerMedia now. That said, in Canada the overseas sale is oftentimes more important than the domestic ratings (see: Combat Hospital).
Just remember, CITY was smart enough to get Murdoch Mysteries off the ground but not smart enough to keep it. So what they’re doing is pretty par for the course for them!
Sunnyside was the best. Too bad the higher ups didn’t feel the same way as everyone who watched it. Very funny and inventive. Finally we had a good Canadian comedy show and now it’s gone. I’m very disappointed in City.
Sunnyside was terrible. Well made but the writing was god awful. The show was just a shameless ripoff of portlandia. It’s a shame all the talented crew and actors couldn’t have had been put to use on something better.