Kim's Convenience is closing shop earlier than expected
In a very “sneak attack”-style move, Canadian comedy Kim’s Convenience is ending after its fifth season, reversing the previously announced renewal for a season six. The producers uploaded a statement to Twitter to reveal the decision to end Kim’s Convenience earlier than anticipated after series’ co-creators Ins Choi and Kevin White decided to move on to other projects.
“At the end of production on Season 5, our two co-creators confirmed they were moving onto other projects. Given their departure from the series, we have come to the difficult conclusion that we cannot deliver another season of the same heart and quality that has made the show so special,” the statement reads. The final episode of the fifth season, which is set to air in Canada on April 13, will now serve as the series finale.
Kim’s Convenience has been applauded for its very slice of life, heartwarming representation of immigrant culture as it follows the Korean Canadian Kim family, who run a convenience store in downtown Toronto. The show, which premiered in 2016, was based on Choi’s 2011 play of the same name. It began to receive global mainstream attention when it dropped on Netflix.
In their statement, the producers also wrote that “Kim’s Convenience has meant so much to our cast, writers, crew, and audiences around the world. Despite the restrictions and complications of shooting during the pandemic, Season 5 is our finest season to date. It’s been a privilege and a very great pleasure to work with the Kim’s family of gifted writers and performers for the last five years. Thank you to our fans for the love and support you’ve given this show.”
The show is noteworthy also because it is one of the very few sitcoms that focuses on Asian immigrant experiences. It’s a solid companion to its fellow award-winning Canadian sitcom Schitt’s Creek, which ended its run in 2020.
Kim’s Convenience helped launched the careers of its younger cast, led by Simu Liu who plays Jung Kim and will next be seen as the protagonist in Marvel’s upcoming Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings. Liu also put out a statement on Twitter, preemptively knocking down rumors that his film commitments might’ve impacted the cancellation. “I know what you’re thinking and, to be clear, I was fully expecting to come back for our sixth season. In fact, I was probably more excited than I’ve ever been.” Liu wrote that he was looking forward to possibly directing an episode of the season and providing a resolution the storyline with Jung and his father, Sang-il Kim a.k.a. Appa, played by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, who also showed up in a couple of second-season episodes of The Mandalorian. Kim’s Convenience also starred Jean Yoon, Andrea Bang, Andrew Phung, and Nicole Power.
No word yet on when season five will drop on Netflix but the (wonderful!) seasons one through four are available to stream. Until then, #OKSeeYou.