'Disenchantment' Scores Two-Season Renewal at Netflix

[dricia]

Netflix is returning to Dreamland.

The streaming giant has handed out a two-season renewal to The Simpsons creator Matt Groening's animated comedy Disenchantment. The order is for 20 additional episodes total, matching the initial pickup for the series and taking it through four seasons of 10. Season two, aka the second half of its initial order, will air on 2019. Seasons three and four will air in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

"We’re excited to continue this epic journey with Netflix. Stay tuned for more cranked-up suspense, infuriating plot twists, and beloved characters getting knocked off," Groening said.

The renewal arrives after Disenchantment debuted Aug. 17 to generally favorable reviews. THR chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg said in his review that the fantasy series "has a strong visual style and funny moments, but isn't yet fully formed — and neither were The Simpsons or Futurama right out of the gate."The comedy, which features a voice cast that includes Abbi Jacobson, Eric Andre and Nat Faxon, has a 63 and 75 percent rating among critics and viewers, respectively. (Netflix, like other streamers, does not release viewership data.) Nielsen suggested that the series, Groening's first new show in 20 years, was sampled by more than 4 million viewers during its opening weekend.

The decision to pick up the comedy for a third and fourth season arrives as animated series require additional time to produce. The multiple-season renewal will ensure that animators and writers — including showrunner Josh Weinstein (The Simpsons) — continue to work without interruption at a time when streaming services are making big plays in the genre. Animation on Disenchantment is done by Rough Draft Studios (Groening's Futurama). The series is produced by The Ululu Company, with Groening and Weinstein executive producing.

Meanwhile, The Simpsons continues to chug along as TV's longest-running comedy, now in its 30th season.