Jacob Ant
Bad news for Pitch Perfect fans; Peacock has abruptly called off the second season of its hit comedy series, Bumper in Berlin, which was a spinoff of the popular musical comedy franchise Pitch Perfect.
This comes despite an earlier announcement in January confirming the series would return, based on its strong debut in November 2022. Interestingly, the show was indicated as Peacock’s leading comedy, although no specific viewership metrics were disclosed.
The sudden reversal in the decision is set against the backdrop of ongoing strikes by Hollywood’s Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA unions. The labor action has also impacted other series like Prime Video’s sci-fi drama The Peripheral and the comedy show A League of Their Own, both of which also had their second seasons canceled, unfortunately.
Abbi Jacobson, a key figure behind A League of Their Own’s production, openly criticized the streaming platform Prime Video for using the strikes as a scapegoat for the unfair cancellations of projects.
The WGA strike, now entering its fifth month, has stalled several productions of movies and TV shows, including Bumper in Berlin, which had yet to begin pre-production work for its anticipated second season. The strike is nearing the guild’s longest-ever labor dispute since 1988, which spanned 154 days.
The canceled show Bumper in Berlin starred the popular comedian/actor Adam Devine, reprising his iconic role as Bumper Allen from the Pitch Perfect films. The storyline of the show centered around Bumper trying to rekindle his music career in Germany.
Alongside Devine, Bumper in Berlin featured a talented cast, including Flula Borg, Sarah Hyland, Lera Abova, and Jameela Jamil. It is also to be noted that Megan Amram, known for producing and one of the writers of the popular sitcom The Good Place, was at the helm as the showrunner for Bumper in Berlin, with Elizabeth Banks and others serving as executive producers.
