The Hulu series "How I Met Your Father" was canceled after two seasons primarily due to a combination of factors:
- The show received generally negative reviews from critics throughout its run, with season 1 having a 38% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and season 2 dropping to 33%. This poor critical reception likely deterred some viewers
- Despite some improvement in audience reception during season 2 and maintaining a spot in the top 10 streaming shows weekly, it struggled to live up to the legacy of its highly popular predecessor, "How I Met Your Mother," and faced constant unfavorable comparisons
- Officially, Hulu's parent company Disney cited "companywide streaming content cuts" as a reason for canceling "How I Met Your Father," along with other shows like "The Great" and "Doogie Kameāloha, M.D." This points to broader corporate decisions to reduce streaming content expenses rather than just the show's performance alone
- The timing of the cancellation coincided with the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes, which disrupted production schedules and may have influenced Hulu's decision to move on from the series amid industry-wide uncertainties
- Fans were disappointed as the show ended on a cliffhanger without revealing the identity of the father, a key plot point intended for future seasons that will now remain unresolved unless another network revives the series
In summary, "How I Met Your Father" was canceled due to a mix of underwhelming critical reception, corporate content cutbacks at Disney/Hulu, and industry strikes impacting production, despite a dedicated fanbase and decent streaming numbers
