By Iandra Estupinian–Netflix had made the decision to cancel their original, “One Day at a Time.” Since its release in 2017, the Cuban-American family sitcom has become a hit amongst the Latino community for its authentic representation of Latin American lives.
“One Day at a Time” is an adaptation of Norman Lear’s comedy of the same name that Sony Studios produced in 1975. The show centers around a Cuban-American family with an ex-Army mother who raises her two children with the help of her Cuban mother.
Through their daily lives, viewers witness the racism, homophobia, and discrimination that Latin-Americans face while living in America. The series was the first of Netflix’s productions that delved into U.S.-Latino based programming and used real Latin-American actors, directors, and producers.
The show produced three full seasons but was cancelled before the fourth season was discussed.
Netflix CEO, Ted Sarandos, tweeted last week about ending the show. “It’s been a great honor to work with the legendary Norman Lear on “One Day at a Time.” I’ve personally spoken with Norman and co-creators Gloria Calderon Kellett and Mike Royce to express my gratitude to them, all the writers, the dedicated crew and the cast, including the brilliant Justina Machado and dazzling Rita Moreno, for creating a series with such humor, heart and humanity. This was a very difficult decision, and we’re thankful to all the fans who’ve supported the series, our partners at Sony and all the critics who embraced it. While it’s disappointing that more viewers didn’t discover One Day at a Time, I believe the series will stand the test of time.” His comments garnered huge backlash from fans and the Latino community.
Netflix claims to have cancelled the series due to low viewership, but the positive feedback it received from viewers tells a different story. Some sources speculate that Netflix stopped the show so they didn’t have to pay the license fee to Sony Studios for using their original series.
Whatever the reason is for the cancellation, fans and “One Day at a Time”cast members are pleading with other big name productions such as NBC, Hulu, and ABC, to renew the show and produce season four.
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