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By
Amanda M. Castro
Published 58 minutes ago
Amanda M. Castro is a Network TV writer at Collider and a journalist based in New York. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Amanda is a bilingual Latina who graduated from the University of New Haven with a degree in Communication, Film, and Media Studies. She covers the world of network television, focusing on sharp, thoughtful analysis of the shows and characters that keep audiences tuning in week after week. At Collider, Amanda dives into the evolving landscape of network TV — from long-running procedural favorites to ambitious new dramas — exploring why these stories matter and how they connect with viewers on a cultural level.
Sign in to your Collider account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recapNetflix has a reputation for cancelling low-performing shows, and viewers don't enjoy this practice. The recent cancellation notice from the streaming website for the Netflix animated continuation of the popular 1970s sitcom Good Times, titled Good Times Black Again, has received many congratulatory messages from Good Times fans, and many viewers are excited about the announcement. Months after the series arrived to instant backlash, Netflix quietly pulled the plug — and social media users wasted no time cheering its demise.
What 'Good Times Black Again' Tried To Do and Why It Didn’t Work
A scene from Good Times Black AgainImage via Netflix
Good Times Black Again set out to serve as a present-day “spiritual sequel” to the original Good Times, following a new generation of the Evans family still living in Chicago’s Cabrini-Green projects. Reggie Evans (J.B. Smoove), a cab driver barely scraping by, anchors the chaotic household with his wife Beverly (Yvette Nicole Brown) and their three children: struggling artist Junior (Jimmie Walker), socially conscious activist Grey (Marsai Martin), and Dalvin (Gerald "Slink" Johnson) — a pistol-packing drug-dealing infant who roams the neighborhood like a punchline borrowed straight from Adult Swim.
On paper, the show aimed to fold classic sitcom DNA into a modern animated framework. In practice, critics and audiences agreed that it leaned heavily on exaggerated stereotypes and shock-value humor rather than on the grounded humanity that made the original series historic. Rather than updating its predecessor’s exploration of Black family life in challenging economic circumstances, the reboot often portrayed its characters as outlandish meme versions of themselves. Roach-infested apartments, dangerous neighborhoods, and constant gun violence weren’t used as commentary — they became running gags.
The trailer received negative feedback for the images and style used before the series premiere. Before the show's premiere, the trailer received negative feedback for its tone and imagery. The NAACP expressed public disapproval about the way the marketing was directed towards downplayed versions of Black life. Netflix did not provide critics with copies of the episodes before they aired (never a good sign), and when critics did get to watch the shows, many felt the series had been created for shock value rather than to entertain.
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Posts By Hannah Saab 14 hours agoWhy Viewers Reacted So Negatively To 'Good Times Black Again'
A scene from Good Times Black AgainImage via Netflix
Across reviews, the same issues kept resurfacing: repetitive stereotypes, stale punchlines, and a bizarre tonal mismatch. A gunfight is breaking out in a medical clinic. Rival toddlers are chasing an infant drug lord. Grey’s hunger strike is depicted with famine imagery. Beverly’s breasts leaked milk whenever Dalvin was near. Even casual viewers felt the show was trying to be edgy for its own sake.
Instead of embracing the original show’s warmth and dignity, Good Times Black Again seemed determined to shock audiences at every turn. The series repeatedly invoked the 1970s classic — down to Reggie singing with a cockroach in the shower while riffing on the original theme song—but rarely captured any of its emotional core. For older fans, the reboot felt less like homage and more like parody without a point.
The reactions online reflected that disconnect. Many viewers called the new version “a mess” and “horrible,” accusing it of reinforcing the very stereotypes the original series worked to deconstruct. Others couldn’t reconcile a franchise known for heart and resilience with a modern reboot that opened with a joke about a drug-dealing baby. As one user bluntly put it after the cancellation announcement: “It got canceled, thank God.”
Why the Cancellation of ‘Good Times Black Again’ Surprised No One and Relieved Many
A scene from Good Times Black AgainImage via Netflix
By November, the writing was on the wall. Despite featuring recognizable voice talent including Smoove, Brown, Martin, and Jay Pharoah — and despite briefly charting in Netflix’s Top 10 — the show couldn’t withstand the overwhelmingly negative word-of-mouth. Netflix ultimately axed it alongside two other adult animated series.
What’s telling is that even viewers who argued the series was misunderstood still acknowledged its execution issues. Some felt the show was attempting to critique modern systemic problems through blunt satire, but the extremes of its humor muddled the message. Others suggested that, with refinement, later episodes showed promise — though few audiences stuck around long enough to find out.
It is uncommon for fans of a television show to celebrate a cancellation. However, in this instance, the cancellation was met with such enthusiasm because of the disappointment and anger many felt about what many perceived to have been a poorly executed idea from the outset. The original Good Times was ground-breaking in its portrayal of a Black family facing very legitimate social and economic challenges, who overcame these obstacles with love, hope, and dignity; whereas, this remake appears to use these same challenges solely as comedic fodder. For audiences who hold the original series in near-legendary regard, that was a step too far. The result? A rare moment where audiences across social media — fans of the original and newcomers alike — agreed that Netflix made the right call.
Good Times
Like Follow Followed Animation Comedy Release Date April 12, 2024Cast
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J.B. Smoove
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Yvette Nicole Brown
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Marsai Martin
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Wanda Sykes
Set against the backdrop of a vibrant urban environment, a close-knit group of friends experiences the highs and lows of life together. As they pursue their dreams, they confront personal and professional challenges, drawing on their friendship for support and celebrating each triumph along the way.
Genres Animation, Comedy Powered by
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Good Times
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Netflix
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