‘Craig of the Creek’ Officially Canceled at Cartoon Network

Craig of the Creek, a critically acclaimed Cartoon Network series beloved for its diverse cast, will finish its run with an upcoming fifth season. Cartoon Network ordered a fifth full season in January, but the order was cut in half during Warner Bros. Discovery’s animation purge in October. On Dec. 2, co-creator Ben Levin confirmed that the team wrote the final episode of the series.

In January, Cartoon Network and HBO Max ordered Season 5, with plans to debut the new episodes in early 2023. Cartoon Network also ordered the spin-off series Jessica’s Big Little World, which would feature Craig’s little sister, and an origin movie, Craig of the Creek: The Movie. The optimism for the franchise’s future took a hit on Oct. 7, when co-creator Matt Burnett confirmed that episode orders for Craig of the Creek Season 5 and Jessica’s Big Little World Season 1 were cut in half. The news came amid massive cutbacks at Warner Bros. Discovery on animation projects.

“Both Craig of the Creek and [its] spinoff Jessica’s Big Little World had their episode orders cut in half today.Just want to thank the crews of both shows for their incredible contributions – amazing talent that I encourage you to hire as they roll off,” Burnett wrote on Oct. 7. “Still work to be done and shared with y’all, though, so stay tuned – both shows and the Craig movie are on another level.”

Levin shared an update on the situation on Dec. 2, confirming Craig will end its run with 181 episodes. His team wrote seven more episodes, but those will not be produced because the episode order was cut. He promised to share more details about the unproduced episodes in the future.

“I’m going to miss this very much. The Creek was a giant sandbox and we tried to make room for everyone to play,” Levin wrote. “We collectively channeled our childhood dreams and adventures into each episode, hoping to inspire the kids watching at home or at least make them laugh. The infinite talents of the entire crew & cast made the Creek into a living, breathing world. The characters and spaces were rich and nuanced and it felt like we could have explored them forever.And we certainly had more stories to tell, but unfortunately, because of this merger, this is the end.”

Levin later thanked fans for watching the show and writers for working on the series for the past six years. “Still 5 Seasons and a Movie (and a spin-off) ain’t nothing,” he wrote.

Craig of the Creek debuted on Cartoon Network in February 2018. The series focuses on Craig Williams (Philip Solomon), a 10-year-old who lives in a fictional suburb of Baltimore with his two friends, Kelsey (Noel Wells) and JP (H. Michael Croner). They go on adventures in their favorite creek, a kid utopia of unexplored wilderness with children who rule over tree forts and bike ramps.

Craig has been acclaimed for its diverse characters and cast, with two lesbian characters since the beginning and adding a non-binary character in 2019. The show’s roster of characters has grown to include other LGBTQ characters. Craig earned two Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Children’s Animated Series and a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Kids & Family Programming. Craig is available on HBO Max, Hulu, and the Cartoon Network website.