Joe Pera, star and creator of Joe Pera Talks With You, has announced that his Adult Swim series “is over for now.” The comedian revealed that the network had not renewed the quirky, sentimental series for a fourth season in a message to his mailing list.
In the 11-minute series, Pera, 33, portrayed a fictionalized version of himself as a slow-talking, well-meaning middle school choir teacher living in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Every episode featured Pera narrating an experience directly to the camera, always in a measured cadence. He talked to the audience about mundane subjects such as fall drives and sleeping and took viewers on car rides and to bachelor parties. The series debuted in May 2018 and gained a wider fanbase during the pandemic for its gentle, comforting tone.
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Pera also confirmed the cancellation on Twitter and his official website, explaining that he got the call about the show’s cancellation on the way home from Bethlehem, PA. He wrote that he felt like the show was “really just getting going” and that “it’s a shame that the characters’ stories can’t continue.”
“I knew where things were headed, but I won’t say here cause part of me is holding out hope that sometime down the line, we can film a proper ending for Joe, Sarah, the Melskys, Gene, Lulu, and most importantly, Fred the Sample Guy,” Pera said. He went on to say that it was a “miracle” the show “lasted as long as it did,” and he “felt very lucky that I was able to work with my close friends.”
Pera noted that “it was rare how much creative freedom we were given by the network” and that late-night Cartoon Network block Adult Swim “supported our ideas and wanted us to make the show we wanted to make.” He continued, “It felt like we cracked something – a different kind of tone that has now popped up a bit elsewhere. Kinda neat but also frustrating that we won’t be able to continue exploring it (at least with this show). Hey, if I never make anything else, this was the show I always wanted to see, and I’m glad it now exists. But hopefully, that’s not the case.”
As for what is next with the comic, he mentioned “working on a few movie ideas, including Postcard Men of course. It was a little discouraging when I showed it to a studio, and they said that it was ‘too far ahead of its time’ and that I should ‘shelve it for a couple decades til people are ready,’ but I’m going to keep moving forward with it anyhow.”
“And the tour has been great,” Pera added. “I started out doing standup, but for the past 4-5 years, most of the writing and bits I put together onstage have been folded into the tv show.” The actor also said a “sincere thank you to everyone who made the show possible. That especially includes the crew in Milwaukee, many of whom have been with the show from the start. And thank you for watching and supporting the show and helping it get as far as it did. I’m sorry if this is disappointing news- there’s always fast food- but maybe I’ll see you at a live show this Summer or Fall, and I will let you know when the next thing is rolling.”
Pera is currently on his Summer in the Midwest and Rustbelt Tour and wrote, “Doing standup for standup’s sake is a treat, and last week I decided that it’s time to film a special.” He said he’s “going to be working out the kinks and then trying to film in December. Maybe a network will want to do it, maybe not and I’ll do it myself but it’s time. And Marty has agreed to direct. And that’s what I’ve got for now.”
