"How I Met Your Father" was canceled by Hulu after two seasons in September 2023. The cancellation came just two months after the season 2 finale aired, which retroactively became the series finale since Hulu decided not to renew the show for a third season
. Several factors contributed to the cancellation:
- The show received mixed to negative reviews from critics, with season 1 earning a 38% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and season 2 dropping to 33%. This poor critical reception likely discouraged new viewers
- The series struggled to live up to the legacy of its predecessor, "How I Met Your Mother," facing constant comparisons that overshadowed its own merits
- Despite maintaining a consistent streaming audience and ranking among the top 10 streaming shows during new episode releases, Hulu apparently decided the audience numbers did not justify continuing the show, possibly influenced by company-wide content cuts at Disney, Hulu's parent company
- The cancellation also coincided with industry-wide disruptions such as the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, which delayed production and may have factored into Hulu's decision to move on to new content
No official detailed explanation was given by Hulu, but the cancellation was part of broader streaming content reductions
. In summary, "How I Met Your Father" was canceled due to a combination of poor critical reception, failure to meet expectations set by the original series, and strategic content cuts by Hulu's parent company despite a steady viewer base