‘Trickster’ Canceled: Scandal Leads to The CW and CBC Show’s Axing

Trickster, which airs on The CW and CBC, has been canceled in light of a scandal revolving around producer Michelle Latimer. According to Variety, the show has been canceled after Latimer, who directs and produces Trickster, is not of Aboriginal descent as she has claimed to be for the past 20 years. As a result, the show will not move forward with Season 2.

“We have had many conversations over the last few weeks with a view to continuing production on a second season of ‘Trickster.’ Those conversations included producers, writers, actors and the author of the books on which ‘Trickster’ is based,” CBC said in a statement. “Fully respecting everyone’s perspective, season two will not move forward as planned, unfortunately.” Trickster was based on a series of novels penned by Eden Robinson. The show had already been renewed for Season 2 ahead of its premiere. It debuted in Canada in October to high critical acclaim and even received praise for the Indigenous community’s inclusion both in front of and behind the camera. The series premiered in the United States on Jan. 12 on The CW.

Even though they will not be moving forward with Season 2 as originally planned, CBC said that they are committed to telling other “important Indigenous stories” and noted that they currently have eight other such scripted projects in development at the moment. They added about those projects, “We look forward to sharing more details about what’s next in the coming months.” In light of the show’s cancellation, Latimer also released a statement to Variety.

“One of the greatest joys of my life was seeing the world of ‘Trickster’ realized on screen,” Latimer said. “In December, I stepped down from my position in the hopes that the show would continue. I was not involved in the decision that was announced today and am sad to hear that Season 2 has been canceled. I am incredibly proud of the entire team that worked so hard to bring ‘Trickster’ to life and I will forever be grateful to the cast and crew that poured their hearts and souls into its creation.” Robinson, who is due to release another novel in her series, Return of the Trickster, on March 2, also stated, “One of the best parts of 2020 was watching the young, Indigenous cast soar. The outpouring of support for the first season was magical. I’m deeply grateful that CBC and Sienna [Films] respect this situation. It gives me hope that future collaborations with Indigenous creatives can be done with care and integrity.”