Paramount+ Cancels Crime Drama 'Happy Face' After One Season

Paramount+ has made the decision to cancel the crime drama series "Happy Face" after just one season. The show, which premiered in May 2023, was inspired by the true-crime podcast of the same name and the autobiography "Shattered Silence" by Melissa Moore.

The series followed Melissa (played by Annaleigh Ashford) as she reconnected with her incarcerated father, known as the "Happy Face Killer" (Dennis Quaid). As Melissa raced against the clock to prevent an innocent man from being executed for her father's crimes, she was forced to confront the impact her father had on his victims' families.

Despite a satisfying conclusion to the first season's case, "Happy Face" failed to resonate with audiences and did not break into Nielsen's Streaming Originals Top 10 during its run. The cancellation, which comes just two months after the season finale, is not entirely surprising given the show's lack of viewership and cultural impact.

Produced by CBS Studios, "Happy Face" was a rare Paramount+ original series not based on existing intellectual property or part of the network's popular "Taylor Sheridan Universe." The decision to cancel the show after a single season suggests the platform is focusing its efforts on more commercially viable projects.