Picture: Cartoon Network Studios
The adult-animated cartoon series Close Enough will depart from Netflix in international territories in May 2023.
Created by J. G. Quintel (Regular Show), the animated series was among the very first wave of HBO Max Originals, although it was originally eyed to release at TBS. It featured the vocal talents of Quintel, Gabrielle Walsh, Jason Mantzoukas, Kimiko Glenn, Jessica DiCicco, James Adomian, and Danielle Brooks. It told the story of a couple living life in their early 30s in a Los Angeles duplex.
The series eventually ran on HBO Max for three seasons consisting of 24 episodes (46 segments).
Netflix first acquired the international rights to the show back in May 2021, with every region of Netflix receiving the show except the United States. Season 2 joined Netflix internationally in May 2021.
It was exclusively streaming on Netflix in all of these regions and, as a result, carried Netflix Original branding.
We had at one point expected to see season 3 of the show join Netflix, but as 2022 progressed, it became increasingly unlikely that we’d see the show join Netflix.
We’re referring to the fact that in the summer, news broke of Close Enough’s status in the United States. The first news item was of its cancelation in July 2022 before it was one of the 40+ titles that were purged from the HBO Max library in August. Its removal from HBO Max went on to cause a lot of anger within the animation community.
It’s also now clear that Netflix was under no obligation to carry the third and final season of the show.
Why is Close Enough leaving Netflix?
Netflix doesn’t own the show and despite being labeled as a Netflix Original, it’s still ultimately owned by Warner Bros Discovery and Cartoon Network Studios.
Its removal date coincides exactly two years following the second season being added. Its removal applies to all regions, including the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.
A removal notice is now showing on the Netflix page for Close Enough, stating your last day to watch is on May 25th, with the actual removal date planned for May 26th, 2023.
Close Enough removal date displaying on Netflix
Where will the show stream next? It’s likely that it won’t. If it follows the trend of the United States, the show will only be available physically and on some VOD services.
Will you miss Close Enough when it departs Netflix? Let us know in the comments down below.