MTV Pulls the Plug on ‘Jodie,’ the Anticipated ‘Daria’ Spinoff with Tracee Ellis Ross – Sky Bulletin

Fans of “Daria” will have to wait longer to see one of their favorite characters on screen again, as the much-awaited spinoff ‘Jodie’ will not be debuting on MTV.

Despite initial excitement and progress, the network has shelved the animated feature Jodie, which cast Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish, Girlfriends) in the leading role, according to information from Deadline, a sister site.

Representatives from MTVE Studios expressed their continued support for Ross, who served as an executive producer, and series creator Grace Edwards (Insecure, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt). They encouraged them to seek alternative platforms for the release of the movie.

The concept of Jodie was introduced in 2018 as Daria & Jodie and was later reimagined to spotlight Jodie as a standalone character. Ross joined the project in 2019. Moving through various stages of development, it was initially set to premiere as a series on Comedy Central in 2020, but was ultimately formatted as a film.

The narrative of Jodie was to feature the life of former Lawndale High student Jodie Landon as she navigated the challenges of her first post-college job in the tech industry and would include cameos from other Lawndale alumni.

MTV Studios had previously provided a glimpse into the show’s themes, stating that Jodie would tackle contemporary issues such as workplace dynamics, the experiences of Generation Z, and the complexities of online platforms. The show was set to offer a fresh and humorous perspective on the struggles faced by young Black women in professional and personal contexts, echoing the way Daria captured the essence of high school life for Generation X.

Daria, the iconic animated series from which Jodie was derived, enjoyed a successful five-season run from 1997 to 2002 on MTV.