Save ‘Tuca and Bertie’: The Netflix show still has wings
Come on Netflix, with so many good shows getting cancelled out of the blue for little to no reason, we’re very unhappy you added Tuca and Birdie to your slashed list.
Created by Lisa Hanawalt, animator behind the genius BoJack Horseman, the animated series Tuca and Bertie was cancelled by Netflix after only one season on July 24th. The adult comedy animation is similar to Bojack, proudly wearing its sitcom roots on its sleeve while focusing on real-life issues.
Tuca and Bertie started with the two 30-year-old bird-women sharing an apartment, and ended with each character having gone on a journey of her own.
Netflix released a statement on their decision to axe Tuca & Bertie: “Lisa Hanawalt created a relatable yet whimsical world in Tuca & Bertie. We’re grateful to Lisa, and her fellow executive producers Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Noel Bright, Steven A. Cohen, and EPs/stars Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong, along with all of the writers and animators for sharing the funny and dynamic female bird duo of Tuca and Bertie with the world.
“While Tuca & Bertie won’t have a second season, we’re proud to feature this story on Netflix for years to come.”
Fans were disappointed with the cancellation. Here are all the reasons why we’re calling to #SaveTucaandBertie.
It’s laugh-out-loud funny
Adult animated shows have a reputation of going over the top. However, Tuca and Birdie is much more than simply funny. The show’s edgy humor leaves audiences in stitches time and again – while also showing how animated shows can do much more than slapstick storylines.
The dynamic friendship between Haddish’s outgoing Tuca and Wong’s reserved Birdie helps not only create great moments of comedy, but allows that comedy to become relatable to the audience. The cancellation leaves that relatability behind, fans wondering what could have happened to the pair had the show continued.
Tuca and Birdie doesn’t fly away from real topics
Many new animated shows have begun to cover more series topics. Mental health, sexual assault, and toxic family dynamics are powerfully represented in Tuca and Bertie. The show doesn’t hide behind its surrealist style and humor, instead choosing to explore such subjects through the lens of a female friendship, something few shows are willing to do. Tuca and Bertie prompts important conversations.
Tuca and Bertie is a great show for representation
Tuca and Birdie not only showcases a strong female friendship, but also gives some LGBTQ+ representation – Tuca is bisexual – and allows some of its non-herteronormative characters to have the spotlight. The cancellation leaves fans with fewer on-screen characters to whom they can relate.
The world needs Tuca and Bertie’s optimistic narrative
Above all, Tuca and Bertie is fun. The show covers heavy topics, but also allows viewers to see the bright side. No matter the trial, Tuca and Bertie seemed inseparable, always believing that no matter how bad, things will always become better.
That uplifting attitude is why many are so attracted to Tuca and Bertie. It lets them see the important issues of the day while also keeping an optimistic outlook. Viewers are prompted to see they have the power to make things better, in both big and small ways. We all need these birdwomen’s amazing positivity in our lives. Netflix, why ya gotta do us like dis?
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Show cancellations are always bitter news. They leave a hole in the hearts of the audience who have grown to love the characters and storylines. A show like Tuca and Bertie deserves to continue its story and continue doing good for animation, discussion, and representation. Tuca and Bertie brings smiles to people’s faces, no matter how dark the times – so let’s fight to #SaveTucaandBertie now.
