Why Kim’s Convenience Season 6 Was Canceled (& How The Cast Reacted)

The sitcom hit Kim’s Convenience was canceled after five seasons, and some of the cast certainly had candid reactions to the show’s fate. The hearty Canadian comedy first aired in 2016 on CBC before expanding to Netflix’s streaming from season 2 in 2017. The story follows a Korean-Canadian family, the Kims, and their life as immigrants running a convenience store in Toronto. While dealing with relatable generational and cultural challenges, Kim’s Convenience became a favorite with audiences.

Although Kim’s Convenience’s season 6 release was up in the air at first, its official cancelation was confirmed in early 2021. Unlike many canceled shows, Kim’s Convenience ends with a somewhat inconsequential final note as Umma (Jean Yoon) and Appa (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) host a dinner, then close up the store and head upstairs. That being said, certain storylines could have been developed more, such as Appa and Jung’s (Simu Liu) tentative reconciliation after being estranged for years. Whether these would have been addressed in season 6 may not have been sufficient either, based on Kim’s Convienience‘s cast reactions to how the show was handled.

Kim’s Convenience Was Canceled After The Show’s Creators Exited (Despite The Season 6 Renewal)

Kim’s Convenience‘s official Instagram account shared in April 2020 that the show was renewed for season 5 and 6. However, season 6 was later canceled, with season 5 proclaimed as the final season early the following year. This cancelation was not due to the typical low-ratings reason, but rather a creative decision after co-creators Ins Choi and Kevin White stepped away. According to The Globe and Mail, Choi insisted that he was done with the series, with producer Ivan Fecan revealing that Choi told him he had “nothing more to give this.”

Since the show was semi-inspired by Choi and his family’s experiences in Toronto while he was growing up, producers felt it wouldn’t be right to spearhead the show without Choi’s input. So, although it moved to streaming from season 2, Netflix couldn’t save Kim’s Convenience season 6. With the IP rights still belonging to the show’s producers – which included Choi and White – any reboot or continuation couldn’t go ahead without their say-so.

How Simu Liu & The Kim’s Convenience Cast Reacted To The Show’s Sudden Cancellation

Aside from fan disappointment at the show ending, some of the stars revealed very transparent reactions and explanations about the show’s problematic off-screen aspects. Liu clarified his Kim’s Convenience cancelation comments, saying, “I built a brand and a career on being outspoken.” He was referring to his since-deleted Facebook post expressing disappointment in the lack of East Asian and female representation in the writer’s room, the poor character depth for a predominantly Asian cast, the sole white character (Nicole Power’s Shannon) getting a spinoff, and low pay. Unsurprisingly, cutting the story short on top of an apparent lack of genuine collaborative representation added to Liu’s upset.

Yoon took to Twitter after Liu received some backlash for speaking out. She expressed that storylines were often “OVERTLY RACIST and so extremely culturally inaccurate.” This painful disregard for fostering more authentic Asian stories, especially with a cast inclusive of trained screenwriters, as Liu shared, undoubtedly made for less than pleasurable time on set despite the support from fans. The Kim’s Convenience cast members speaking out highlights a larger issue of inadequate representation in the TV industry, even when a show’s premise focuses on giving a platform to historically marginalized voices.

Sources: The Globe and Mail, Instagram/KimsConvenience, Twitter/Jean Yoon