Barney, Norma and magical talking dog Pugsley are concluding their summer adventures on Netflix after the streamer canceled the animated series Dead end: Paranormal Park.
The series based on Hamish Steele’s horror comedy graphic novels DeadEndia and Web Short Dead end, was axed after two seasons.
Voiced by Emily Osment and Zach Barack, the series follows the adventures of Barney Guttman, a gay transgender teenager who finds a new job as a Phoenix Park security guard, and Norma Khan, a 17-year-old autistic Pakistani-American girl who is also part of the security team.
The duo balance their summer jobs at the local theme park’s haunted house while battling the very real supernatural forces that reside within. Along with their guide through the underworld multiplane, a smug thousand-year-old demon named Courtney, they face zombie mascots, demonic game show hosts, sleep-sucking witches, and the scariest of them all: their first crushes.
Produced by Blink Industries, the series launched in June 2022 with a second season that premiered in October.
Steele announced the cancellation on Twitter. He said, “It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that Dead End is over.”
“Of course we never wanted that. In fact, we set up a writers’ room for Season 3. We have scripts, themes and outlines ready to use. It was always the plan to give these characters the right ending they deserve. But unfortunately those in power don’t want more,” he added. “Honestly, we were lucky that we got through everything that has happened in the past few years. And I want to express my gratitude to Netflix for commissioning the show and giving us the freedom to tell this story. We made history together and I couldn’t be prouder of these 20 episodes and of each and every member of our crew.”
He thanked the fans and Netflix, adding that “hard work” is being done on the third and final DeadEndia book, which he hopes will offer “closure” for fans.