Why FX canceled What We Do in the Shadows

As far as comedy TV shows go over the past decade, it's hard to find one more beloved than What We Do in the Shadows. The series premiered on FX in 2019 and was based on the film of the same name by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clemens. However, as good as some things are, they must inevitably come to an end.

The The season 6 finale of “What We Do in the Shadows” served as the series finalebidding farewell to the vampires after more than 60 episodes and more than five years on the air. However, the decision was made before the start of the season, so it doesn't appear to come as a surprise to any of the creative staff involved or viewers following the news.

Broadly speaking, the show documented the nightly exploits of vampires Nandor (Kaivan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Barry), Nadia (Natasia Demetriou), and Colin Robinson (Mark Procks) as they try to make their way through the modern world in New York. with the help of his human friend Guillermo (Harvey Gillen) as well as a vampire bureaucrat known as The Guide (Kristen Schale).

Based on general consensus, the quality of the show has not deteriorated. /A film review of Season 6 of What We Do in the Shadows called it “bloody good fun”. This begs the question, why would FX decide to end a show with a loyal fan base that was still being championed by critics? The answer is simple.

In short, the series had simply run its course. It's true that American television is notorious for letting shows slide into prime time. It is the creative equivalent of often squeezing blood from a stone. That's just the nature of the company. (Not everything can be “Six Feet Under.”) However, in this case, FX decided to let the show go on its own terms before it exceeded expectations.

“The show has come to a natural conclusion. It's been a great six-year run,” FX chairman John Landgraf said at TCA in February 2024 (via Screen Rant). Similarly, showrunner and executive producer Paul Simms talked about canceling the show during the New York Comic Con panel in October 2024. As Simms explained, The Hollywood ReporterThe “Shadows” team would rather stand out than be left behind:

“I think it's better to go ahead, and better too soon than too late. I don't want to stay long enough to only have a few people in front of this audience. I mean, look how many people are here.”

Simms also made it clear at the time that they weren't going to leave audiences with unresolved cliffhangers. “It's all in Season 6. Everything we ever wanted to do is there,” he said. There's nothing worse than rock material, so at least fans of the show got closure.

The good news is that this franchise has more to offer viewers. First of all, the movie the show is based on is truly wonderful and those who haven't seen it would do well to check it out. In addition to this, there was also a relatively short-lived spin-off titled “Wellington Paranormal” which originally aired in New Zealand and later went to the CW and Max.. For those looking to fill the vampire-sized hole in their heart, this might be a good place to start.

“What We Do in the Shadows” is streaming on Hulu, or you can grab the show on DVD from Amazon.