We’ll give Fox credit on this account: It’s seemed pretty determined, of late, not to cancel shows before they’ve actually finished their current run; in this case, they waited a respectful two weeks after Great North aired its season finale to break the news. The network also, possibly owing to the show’s long-running status, did not do the usual Friday Night TV Murder Pile thing and let the series pass into oblivion without comment, with network executive president Michael Thorn thanking executive producers Wendy Molyneux, Lizzy Molyneux-Logelin, and Loren Bouchard for their work on the series. (Weirdly, no mention of co-creator Minty Lewis, though.) Here’s Thorn:
We’re so grateful for everything Wendy, Lizzie, Loren and the amazing cast and crew put into The Great North. It’s difficult to say goodbye, but we’re thankful for the five hilarious seasons The Great North brought to the iconic Animation Domination lineup.
Featuring art reminiscent of Bouchard’s Bob’s Burgers—which the Molyneux sisters both previously worked on—The Great North centered on the Tobin family, played by a crew of comedic ringers including Nick Offerman, Jenny Slate, Will Forte, Dulcé Sloan, Paul Rust, and Aparna Nancherla.
For what it’s worth, the cast and crew of The Great North do not appear to have been completely taken off-guard by the move: The series’ now-final episode served as both a tribute to Offerman’s character, good-hearted dad Beef Tobin, and ended on a montage of scenes from earlier in the show, scored to a performance of “Thank U” by frequent guest star Alanis Morissette. (Who recurred on the show as an imaginary friend version of Nancherla’s character.) All of which suggests that signs and portents of doom came down early enough that the team was able to prep some kind of definitive finale for the series.
