Why Was "A.P. Bio" Canceled Twice? Everything to Know About the Sitcom's History (And How Fans Brought It Back!) Before It Landed on Netflix

11/21/2024 05:30 PM

The school sitcom has found new life on Netflix after being canceled not once but twice during its original run

A.P. Bio may have been canceled two separate times — but that doesn't mean it has been forgotten.

The comedy series, created by Mike O'Brien and executive produced by Seth Meyers, first premiered on NBC in 2018. A.P. Bio follows Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton) — a disgraced Harvard philosophy professor who takes a gig teaching advanced placement biology at Whitlock High School in Toledo, Ohio. With no interest in teaching the subject, Griffin instead uses class time and his students' smarts to plot against his academic rival and the superintendent, among others.

While Griffin was getting up to antics on the show, changes were happening off-screen. A.P. Bio was canceled after two seasons in 2019, only to get revived by NBCUniversal's streaming service, Peacock, the following year. The sitcom continued for two more seasons on the platform before it was canceled again in 2021.

Though no new episodes have been released since, the series has found a new set of fans after debuting on Netflix on Nov. 15 and quickly claiming its place on the streamer's Top 10 list — a development Howerton gave a nod to on social media.

"From 2018-2021 we made a show called AP Bio that I am as proud of as anything I've ever done in my life," he wrote on Instagram. "And now all 4 seasons are available on @netflix (and trending!) Check it out and enjoy all the weirdness."

So why was A.P. Bio canceled twice? Here's everything to know about the show getting axed.

Why was A.P. Bio originally canceled?

When A.P. Bio premiered on NBC in February 2018, it had a slow start, drawing in 3.2 million viewers, according to Variety. It paled next to Will & Grace with 4.1 million viewers and Chicago Fire's 5.6 million. In addition, A.P. Bio was the only NBC program of the Thursday lineup to bring in less than a 1.0 rating in the adults 18-49 demo, at 0.9.

That same year, in May, TVLine reported that the A.P. Bio season 1 finale pulled in 2.1 million viewers, and despite the lower-than-usual ratings, NBC renewed it for season 2.

Unfortunately, the series went on to average just below 2 million viewers per episode for its second installment, "making it the second lowest rated scripted series for the network," per Variety. By May 2019, NBC canceled A.P. Bio and creator O'Brien announced the news.

"As most canceled shows probably feel, I think we were just hitting our stride and everyone was still loving the work, so this is very hard," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Why was A.P. Bio brought back for season 3 and 4? 

The unexpected happened when NBCUniversal launched its streaming service, Peacock, and A.P. Bio was picked up for season 3.

Reflecting on the renewal news in September 2020, O'Brien shared that the support of fans helped bring the series back.

"I don't remember how I found out about the cancellation. ... And I don't know the exact process of getting picked up by Peacock, but I know that the twitter campaign #saveAPBio surely helped! So thank you all!" he wrote on a Reddit AMA.

In addition, NBCUniversal revealed that A.P. Bio was an example of "long-tail discovery," per Deadline. Although the show's pilot had a 0.4 rating when it aired on TV, it climbed up to a 5.9 rating over a year later via "nonlinear sources," which included on-demand viewing.

When Howerton heard the news that A.P. Bio was returning for season 3, he expressed his gratitude on X. "I am overjoyed. Congrats to @MikeOBrienXOXO the most for creating such an amazing show. I'm so happy right now," the actor wrote in July 2019.

The following winter, A.P. Bio was renewed for season 4, becoming Peacock's first original scripted series to come back, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Unfortunately, the same wasn't true the next year: In December 2021, Peacock announced that A.P. Bio would not be renewed for a fifth season.

"We were honored to be able to give fans two more seasons of this beloved, quirky comedy. We're grateful to creator Mike O'Brien for his out-of-the-box storytelling and for taking us on this journey with these characters at Whitlock High," the streaming service said in a statement, per Deadline.

Peacock didn't share further insight about the reasons behind the show's second cancellation.

What did the A.P. Bio cast and crew say following the show's second cancellation? 

After four seasons of A.P. Bio, the cast and crew were upset that the series was officially ending, but they were also thankful that the show's journey lasted as long as it did.

"I'm so proud of this show and so lucky to have been a part of it. I'm sad to see it go. But it was a great run. Mike, you're a genius," Howerton wrote on X in December 2021.

Patton Oswalt, who played Principal Ralph Durbin, echoed Howerton's words.

"Beyond happy we got to do 4 extraordinary seasons of @APBioPeacock!" he posted on X. "Thank you @nbc & @peacockTV for giving us the chances we got."

Oswalt continued, "Thank you @MikeOBrienXOXO for being an a-one creator and showrunner, thank you @GlennHowerton for making every second FUN."

Where can I watch A.P. Bio?

All four seasons of A.P. Bio are available to stream on Peacock and Netflix.

This is the first time all 42 episodes of the sitcom have been available to stream outside of the NBCU streaming platform.