‘Girls5Eva’ Canceled Again: Netflix Drops Musical Comedy After Rescuing It From Peacock

B.P.E. no more. After three seasons, “Girls5Eva” has been canceled for the second time — this time, by Netflix.

The first two seasons of the musical comedy streamed on Peacock from 2021 to 2022; when Peacock decided not to move forward, Netflix came in to renew the series for a third season, which aired in March 2024.

Created by Meredith Scardino and produced by Tina Fey, the comedy followed a ’90s girls group that reunite and attempt to revive their careers after they get an unexpected second chance. Sara Bareilles, Busy Philipps, Paula Pell and Renée Elise Goldsberry starred in the series, which earned critical acclaim for its fast-paced humor and catchy, satiric original songs.

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While many expected the show to take off on Netflix, it failed to do so. Variety TV Editor Michael Schneider recently dissected one potential reason, pointing to the title and noting that many who scroll through Netflix, don’t stay on a tile long enough to get the context of a show.

Phillips recently confirmed the cancellation news on her “Doing Her Best” podcast. “It’s dead. Yeah. I’m just saying it because, fuck it. If Netflix won’t, I will. I guess not enough people watched it or watched it the way that counts or I don’t know. I actually just don’t know,” she told guest Danny Pellegrino.

She added that Netflix hasn’t said “anything about how the deal was structured when it went to Peacock for the second season,” nor have they said it’s actually done.

“So there’s time. I don’t think it’ll ever be dead-dead. The characters are too good,” she continued. “I’ve even joked with the cast, like, we should do Radio City or turn it into a live stage show — a musical, maybe even Broadway someday.”

She also commented on the name, hinting that it could have been part of a problem. “I think the name ‘Girls5Eva’ is amazing and totally right, but I think it’s possible it alienates men — like straight fucking dudes. Has anyone ever done a study on how women-forward titles affect the success of shows?”