Disney+ Cancels Popular Series After Just 2 Seasons

By Daniel S. Levine

The Disney+ original series Diary of a Future President was canceled on Monday after just two seasons. Creator Ilana Pena shared the news on Twitter, noting that she was "filled with so much gratitude" for the episodes she got to make before Disney pulled the plug. The series debuted in January 2020 and included Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez as an executive producer.

"We found out that [Diary of a Future President] is not moving forward with a season 3 at Disney+," Pena wrote in a statement Monday afternoon. "Of course, we would love to continue telling this story, but I am filled with so much gratitude for the 2 seasons that we did get to make." Pena went on to thank the cast, crew, and fans for supporting the show, which filmed its second season during the coronavirus pandemic.

"There's so much I want to say about how this experience changed me, but Elena would say it better," Pena wrote. "She said all of it better. I made this show for my younger self, and I hope I made her proud."

Diary of a Future President starred Tess Romero as Elena Canero-Reed, a 13-year-old Cuban American girl who dreams of becoming U.S. president. Rodriguez narrated the show as the future Elena, who achieved her dream. The future Elena also served as a figment of present-day Elena's imagination in Season 2. Selenis Levya starred as Elena's widowed mother Gabi, and Charlie Bushnell played her older brother Bobby. Michael Weaver starred as Sam Faber, a lawyer at Gabi's firm. Rachel Bloom and Melissa Fumero made guest star appearances during the show's run.

The series debuted in January 2020, with a new episode rolling out each week. However, Disney decided to release all 10 episodes of Season 2 at once on Aug. 18. The show earned critical acclaim but failed to draw much attention during awards season. It was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids & Family Programming.

While Disney+ has had success with shows from major brands like Star Wars and Marvel, the streaming platform has a mixed record with other projects. Earlier this month, the Turner & Hooch series was canceled after one season. In April, Disney+ canceled the National Geographic Channel's The Right Stuff after one season, making it the first scripted show for Disney+ not to get a second season. Disney also hasn't announced the future of Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., which ended its first season in early November. Many of Disney+'s upcoming projects are related to Star Wars or Marvel, including The Book of Boba Fett, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Andor. 

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