Disney pulled the plug on the adventure and fantasy kid’s show “The Mysterious Benedict Society” at the culmination of its sophomore season, the sad piece of news came from the mouth of the series’ executive producer Phil Hay via Twitter and left many people wondering why. Today we aim to explain to you the reasoning behind this disappointing decision that left the adventures of a group of kids that took inspiration from a book series penned by Trenton Lee Stewart to get the axe.
The sophomore season of The Mysterious Benedict Society landed on Disney back in late October 2022; it picked up on the story fans know, a group of four orphan kids trying to solve riddles and mysteries so they could get Tony Hale’s character Mr. Benedict back after he and Number Two were abducted, so they embarked on several journeys around different parts of the world in search for the pieces of the puzzle and trying to stop L.D. Curtain, the villain, from fulfilling his devious schemes.
Why Did Disney Cancel The Mysterious Benedict Society?
The Benedict Society was disbanded, the world will still be a dangerous place, and Mr. Benedict won’t come back. As stated earlier, Phil Hay went to Twitter to thank everybody for being part of the project and confirmed that the show had been canceled by Disney, which was surprising to many fans since Disney hadn’t said anything concerning the show’s cancelation. It was abrupt and unpredictable.
It is uncertain why Disney chose to cancel The Mysterious Benedict Society. However, it could be attributed to low ratings or budget issues. Although the show enjoyed a strong and passionate fan base, it hasn’t been able to get enough traction, and when it comes to shows, every production company has a fiduciary obligation to report profits on the projects they bankroll for their shareholders. Some shows become good enough to receive multiple renewals, create a fan base and eventually become a staple and a success, others don’t take off after the first season, and some don’t even make it past the pilot episode.
In the case of The Mysterious Benedict Society, a melange of factors intervened that made Disney pull the plug on them. With rising production costs, which include shooting on locations, salaries for the scriptwriters, and the general state of a post-pandemic economy, productions companies left and right are canceling shows and allowing scripted series, documentaries, and movies to slowly build up in the desk of producers as they chose cheaper projects to try out and make them succeed.
Also Read: The Mysterious Benedict Society Season 3: When Will it Come Out?
Producer Phil Hay Says Goodbye On Twitter
Producer and series creator Phil Hay wrote on Twitter a heartwarming goodbye to the friends and followers of the show, thanking them for the time and love and all the good things that the show brought along their way, going as far as to let everyone know what became of the children storywise, which sort of gives everyone the conclusion, the closure, the final they were left expecting after Disney decided not to renew the show for a third run.
Dear friends- season 2 will mark the end of THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY’s journey on Disney+. We love everyone who helped make this truly special and indeed life-affirming experience happen. No regrets- so proud of what we made! (1/3 )
— Phil Hay (@phillycarly) January 29, 2023
Phil Hay wrote that the conclusion to The Mysterious Benedict Society involves the kids being friends for the rest of their lives. This is a great way to put the final stop to what seemed to be a promising fantasy adventure series that had Tony Hale in a double role both as the hero, Mr. Benedict, and his evil twin brother Curtain, and also Kristen Schaal as Number Two, the trusty sidekick.
But all good things come to an end. Maybe in the case of the orphans of the Mysterious Benedict Society, it was too soon to say goodbye. It was a show that was produced by 20th Century Television, a Disney subsidiary with Halcyon Studios, and Chicken Soup for The Soul Entertainment under the leadership of Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi. It’s sad to see them go, but we must move on.
Also Read: The Mysterious Benedict Society Season 2 Episode 9: Will It Happen?
That really sucks