Have you been on Twitter today? No? Well, I have bad news I’m afraid. One of our beloved streaming services has taken the decision to cancel one of our favourite shows, One Day At A Time. The announcement came as a shock to me. After a month of campaigning, pretty much since the day of the Season 3 premiere, this move has left entire communities stunned.
One Day At A Time, featuring Justina Machado, Todd Grinnell, Isabella Gomez, Marcel Ruiz, with Stephen Tobolowsky, and Rita Moreno, and run by co-showrunners Gloria Calderon Kellett and Mike Royce, has warmed hearts around the globe for its handling of subjects typically avoided by the mainstream media, while providing a unique commentary on American Society today through the story of the Alvarez Family. This show not only tackles the issues of mental illness, immigration, veterans issues, sexism, homophobia, and racism that faces Latinos living in the United States, but it does so through poignant moments between the family members and intersperses it cleverly with moments of comedy. You will find it hard to get through an episode without laughing and crying.
In a move which has shocked everyone, Netflix issued the following statement:
There was a near instantaneous outcry from fans, with it trending worldwide within an hour with the tags #SaveODAAT and ##OneDayAtATime. I figured what better way of showing Netflix what a huge mistake this cancellation is than to compile a few of these responses in an article.
Me to Netflix
This is a problem we have seen recurring these past few years with Netflix. They pour money either into shows which are problematic (see ‘You’ and ’13 Reasons Why’) or into shows which everyone has seen to death (see ‘Friends‘) instead of putting money into their original programming which tells the stories that really matter. We have seen the cancellation of ‘Everything Sucks’ and the entire Netflix catalogue of Marvel shows. What we need is for the stories that we consume to be relatable. We need to see ourselves reflected in them. We need One Day At A Time.
I am hurt. I am mad. I feel let down. Most of all, I am just tired. Tired of fighting for my shows and for fighting for the stories that matter. I am sure all of you are as well. We must, however, keep fighting. If we do not, we will not have the stories that matter. We will not see ourselves represented. We will not have stories which cover so many societal issues. I’m going to leave you with this message from one of the showrunners Mike Royce as words are still currently escaping me.
Remember to keep on fighting for those that you love. I live in hope that one day we will not have to fight for shows like this which matter. Use the tags. Watch and rewatch as many times as is required. Share your love for this show boldly and unabashedly. Be loud. Be proud. And never give up! Please Netflix, give this show another chance!
-Written by Christine
fangirlden.com 