It is going on four years since Anne with an E season 3 premiered, raising questions about whether the series will ever get a season 4. After all, it has one of the most extensive fan campaigns in history backing it up.
The series is a reimagining of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s beloved novel Anne of Green Gables but delves deeper into contemporary issues. Anne with an E follows the intelligent, spunky, and imaginative Anne Shirley (Amybeth McNulty), an orphan who is adopted by Matthew (R. H. Thomson) and Marilla Cuthbert (Geraldine James). Despite the elderly siblings initially wishing to adopt a boy, Anne comes to live with them in Avonlea and soon charms and changes the entire community with her beautiful spirit and unique perspective.
The show does get a little more serious than the books, though, as it probes topics Montgomery only brushed on, including child abandonment, trauma, and abuse. Additionally, it explores social issues such as feminism, racism, freedom of speech, religion, and the LGBTQ+ community. Some viewers were a little critical of the show’s changes to the source material, though the majority of critics praised its interpretation of Montgomery’s work. After all, Anne with an E paid tribute to the original story while also making it new and unique, thus really adding something worthwhile to the world of Anne of Green Gables.
Since Montgomery’s series spans eight books, Anne with an E had the potential to continue beyond season 3 and even explore Anne’s teenage years as the cast aged.
Is Anne with an E renewed for season 4?
Unfortunately, Anne with an E season 4 is not happening, as the show was canceled after three seasons. Its cancelation has mystified some viewers, especially because it sparked an intense reaction among fans. Fans of the series led an extensive campaign to attempt to save the show after CBC and Netflix announced it was concluding. They set up a petition on Change.org that garnered over 1.7 million signatures—making it one the largest fan petitions to save a canceled show. Meanwhile, fans also put up billboards for the campaign and even had to be blocked on CBC’s news site from spamming unrelated news posts with demands for Anne with an E‘s renewal.
So, why was a show so beloved by fans canceled after three seasons? Part of the reason may have been the breakdown of Netflix’s and CBC’s partnership. Netflix and CBC co-produced Anne with an E, but in 2019, CBC announced it was parting ways with Netflix. In October 2019, CBC’s CEO Catherine Tait explained that it felt its partnership with Netflix was harmful, as it was feeding into the streamer’s growth instead of CBC’s own expansion. One month later, Netflix and CBC announced that Anne with an E was ending with season 3. After the outcry from fans, CBC claimed that the decision to end the show was mutual with Netflix and that the primary reason was that the show wasn’t growing its target audience of viewers in the 25-54 range.
Of course, with neither CBC nor Netflix sharing viewership numbers, that information didn’t do much to satisfy fans’ lingering questions. Despite the fanbase’s impressive efforts and ever-growing petition, CBC and Netflix didn’t change their stance on the show. However, there is always a small chance of another network or streamer picking it up. The show’s creator, Moira Walley-Beckett, even teased a feature film to give the show a proper finale. Unfortunately, as more years continue to go by with no updates, hope for Anne with an E‘s return is diminishing.
(featured image: Netflix/CBC)
