Disney has cancelled the groundbreaking series on the Disney Channel (DStv 303), Andi Mack, also known as "that gay teen show that Africa couldn't cope with".
The teen growing up-comedy series that was renewed for a third season in February 2018 has now been cancelled and will conclude with its current third season.
"Andi Mack was a labour of love for a room of impassioned, inventive writers, a talented and dedicated crew, and an extraordinary, miraculous cast who inspired us all," said show creator Terri Minsky in a statement Wednesday, that wasn't released through Disney in South Africa or Africa.
"We had the honour of breaking a lot of new ground for Disney Channel. We were its first serialized show, its first series centred around an Asian-American family and its first to feature an LGBTQ character who spoke the words, 'I'm gay'," said Terri Minsky.
"The best part of making Andi Mack was our audience, who let us know we mattered to them. The series finale is for them."
Gary Marsh, Disney Channel president, says "Three years ago, we challenged Terri Minsky to create a new series that expanded and broadened the Disney Channel brand. And so was born Andi Mack".
"We are forever grateful to Terri, her talented team and the outstanding cast, led by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, for delivering a meaningful and satisfying conclusion to three wonderful seasons of this brilliant series."
Andi Mack, filmed in Salt Lake City, Utah in the United States, was executive produced by Minsky and Michelle Manning, with Phil Baker as co-executive producer. Andi Mack was produced by Horizon Productions.
Andi Mack was notable when, during its second season, the character of Cyrus Goodman (Joshua Rush) one of the show's main characters, begain to realise that he was gay and in love with a male classmate. The season explored his journey to self-discovery and self-acceptance as a gay teenager.
Before the second season was broadcast in Africa and shortly after the gay character announcement, scandal erupted when Kenya's draconian censorship tsar, Ezekiel Mutua, who ordered the show banned on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service in Kenya.
"When it comes to protecting children from exposure to bad content we are resolute and unapologetic. Gay content will not air in Kenya, period," said Ezekiel Mutua in November 2017 in a statement.
Since the Disney Channel has only one channel feed into Africa the censorship, banning by the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) and the resulting brouhaha around Andi Mack meant that it became unavailable for not just DStv subscribers in Kenya, but also in South Africa and anywhere else in sub-Saharan Africa.
MultiChoice in South Africa, MultiChoice Africa, MultiChoice Kenya and The Walt Disney Company Africa all rolled over to appease the Kenya censorship board instead of standing up for artistic expression, freedom of speech and TV producers' creative rights (not to mention the telling of an important story that might resonate with some families and viewers) and went along with its misguided decree to ban the show in Kenya and across Africa without any of the companies speaking up or out about it.
