DuckTales! Ending, Not Cancelled. GET IT RIGHT!

ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE. LISTEN UP! If you’ve been on Twitter over the last few hours, then you might have heard the news about #DuckTales2017 and that it’s been cancelled. The story was broken on Twitter yesterday by Drew Taylor, an associate editor for Collider with this tweet.

I love seeing the #RenewDuckTales2017 hashtag but regretfully inform you that the show is very much done and has been done for a little while now. Not sure why Disney Channel has yet to announce this, but it’s the truth. pic.twitter.com/AAyaXUorBA

— Drew Taylor (@DrewTailored) December 2, 2020

Later posts by Drew on Collider itself, corroborated by official statements from Disney, have confirmed this. DuckTales! will be ending with its Third Season.

Am I upset by this? Yes. The 2017 reboot of DuckTales! is one of the best things Disney’s given us in years. It not only brings back the classic 80s cartoon for a new generation, it improved on it. Not to mention the stellar cast, animators, and others who worked on it. However, here’s the thing: I had a feeling going into Season Three that it was going to be the last one.

Think about it. Della Duck came back, they fought the Moonlanders, and now they’re fighting F.O.W.L., which will likely be their biggest adventure ever. The writing’s all there: #DuckTales2017 was gearing up for a big finale.

However, just because the show’s ending doesn’t mean it’s cancelled.

Cancelled vs. Ending

I’ve seen people use the words “ending” and “cancelled” interchangably when talking about TV shows. Regrettably, they’re doing the same thing with #DuckTales. So to get it off my chest, I want to remind everyone the difference.

When a show’s cancelled, that’s when the network pulls the plug on it before it can reach its proper conclusion. #InvaderZim was one such example. When a show’s ending, that means it’s reached the point where the network, creators, and cast all agree they want to conclude the story. Shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Gravity Falls, Adventure Time. #DuckTales is going to be one such show.

So, to clarify, #DuckTales isn’t cancelled. Disney will likely release the remaining episodes in 2021, followed by the series finale. THERE’S A FREAKING DIFFERENCE PEOPLE! GET IT RIGHT!!!

I’m sorry. I had to say that.

The Future

I’d also like to remind people of this obvious fact: DuckTales! has already opened to door for a revived Disney Afternoon-iverse. The show’s included multiple cameos, easter eggs, and references to the other shows of the Disney Afternoon block decades ago. Season Three has only seen the references intensify. Hell, I already said that the #DarkwingDuck special was a backdoor pilot for a spin-off. And I was right: it’s getting a reboot on Disney+. Most likely, it will pick up where the special left off, meaning it will be in the same universe as DuckTales! In other words, there’s a chance that we’ll still see the Duck Family in the future.

If this is where the show’s creators want to bow out, then I will respect their decision. However, I don’t want to see people panicking over the misconception that #DuckTales2017 is being cancelled. It’s ending. THERE’S A DIFFERENCE. LOOK IT UP PEOPLE!!

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