Hulu’s comedy, Woke, has been canceled after just two seasons, Deadline reports. The American live-action-animated comedy show Woke made its debut on Hulu in September 2020. It was inspired by the real-life experiences of the show’s co-creator Keith Knight. While close to the high-level success he wants with his non-confrontational and benign cartoon illustrations, Woke’s protagonist, the award-winning cartoonist Keef Knight, is racially profiled by a hostile policeman claiming he resembles a mugger in the area. Following the assault, he gains the ability to hear inanimate objects talk and becomes more aware of the racially motivated microaggressions around him.
Season 1 begins with the wrongful arrest of Keef and his subsequent trauma. It explores his “awakening” through his ability to hear inanimate objects that often tell him to face the racism happening around him and to him. After a series of events, Keef eventually seeks treatment through therapy to deal with his problems and turn his pain into art. The season ends with him finding himself in a situation where he must decide whether to silence himself or face the consequences of speaking up.
Season 2 of Woke finds Keef, now a prominent figure within the local civil rights activist community, as he navigates his way through the world of activism. It brings to light some problems within online activism and the difficulties and conflicts that differences in priorities and methods can bring to such spaces.
Woke featured the acting talents of Lamorne Morris as Keef Knight, Blake Anderson as Gunther, Rose McIver as Adrienne, Sasheer Zamata as Ayana, Aimee Garcia as Laura, J.B. Smoove as Marker, T. Murph as Clovis, and more. It was developed and executive produced by Knight, Marshall Todd, Anthony King, Maurice “Mo” Marable, Richie Schwartz, John Will, Will Gluck, and Eric Christian Olsen. The series was produced by Sony Pictures and ABC Signature.
Knight’s works began in the early ‘90s when he became a part of several outlets when he wrote The K Chronicles, which is what Woke was based on, and continued with his daily comic strip titled The Knight Life in 2008. He uses his medium to touch on topics like racism and police brutality. Knight has also won many awards, with the Harvey Kurtzman Award, Glyph Comic Award, and Inkpot Award among them.
Though Woke has been canceled, Knight’s works will surely persevere in the entertainment industry, and we can’t wait to see what he creates next.