HBO Max Suddenly Delays Show Just Days Before Premiere

By Daniel S. Levine

The sixth and final season of Summer Camp Island has been postponed until next year. New episodes of the acclaimed Cartoon Network Studios series were scheduled to appear on HBO Max on June 9, but the streamer mysteriously delayed the new episodes on June 6. Creator Julia Pott told fans that the reason for the delay does not have to do with the show itself.

When HBO Max released its list of June programs, Summer Camp Island was there. It was set to be added on June 9, alongside Amsterdam Season 1 and the documentary Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain. However, three days before the new episodes were to be released, Cartoon Network announced the delay. "Time can be a tricky thing. The final season of Summer Camp Island is now premiering in 2023," the network wrote on Twitter.

The day after the delay was announced, Pott shared as much information with fans as she could. "I am sorry for the delay everyone, I can't wait for you to see these episodes!! Your lovely messages and all your support is so meaningful to all of us," she wrote.

One fan asked if there was a reason for the delay, but she could not explain. "Unfortunately not allowed to share but it's just logistical things and nothing to do with the show itself," the Adventure Time veteran wrote. When another fan asked if anyone asked for a delay because of the content, Pott said no. "We will still tell all our stories about time," she wrote.

Summer Camp Island launched on Cartoon Network in 2018 and moved to HBO Max for its second season in June 2020. The show centers on friends Oscar Peltzer, an elephant, and Hedgehog, a hedgehog, who were dropped off at a magical summer camp at the start of the series. There are many other strange characters at the summer camp, including witches, unicorns, monsters, talking sharks, yetis, and many more. The voice cast includes Antonio Raul Corbo, Oona Laurence, Pott, Charlyne Yi, Nikki Castillo, and Ramone Hamilton. Bobby Moynihan, Alia Shawkat, Melanie Lynskey, Cedric the Entertainer, and Elijah Wood have also voiced characters for the show.

Summer Camp Island has earned critical acclaim during its run. In 2021, Kristi Reed earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Voice Directing for an Animated Series. The show also earned Outstanding Children's Programming nominations at the 2021 and 2022 GLAAD Media Awards. Pott's 2016 pilot received an Animated Short Special Jury Mention at the AFI Fest. 

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