Steve Carell and Tina Fey’s The Four Seasons scores a second run as Netflix renews 6 shows

Netflix's 2025 upfront presentation included a slew of major announcements, one of which included renewal for The Four Seasons through season two. The news arrives barely two weeks after the series initially premiered on May 1, 2025, constituting a hasty vote of confidence in the dramedy with an ensemble cast. The audience of the series doesn't have to wait too long to get more—Season 2 has been set to consist of eight episodes, just like its inaugural season.

Netflix greenlit eight programs during its upfronts, including The Four Seasons, The Diplomat, and Bridgerton. While past reports grouped shows like One Piece and 3 Body Problem in one renewal bundle, only a subset was outrightly confirmed within the presentation. Nevertheless, The Four Seasons was notable because it performed well and had a well-known cast. The series tallied 24.4 million viewers over its first two weeks, one of the better comedy debuts of the year.

A classic reimagined with roots in familiarity

The Four Seasons is adapted from a film of the same name, released in 1981 and originally conceived by Alan Alda. The Netflix series tracks a close-knit group of friends whose evolving relationships are guided by yearly seasonal escapes. Steve Carell and Tina Fey headline the cast, supported by Colman Domingo, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney, and Marco Calvani. The series is heavy on character-driven storytelling and avoids gimmicks for a naturalistic approach and emotional depth.

This structure, less sitcom than slice-of-life, allows the show to explore issues of aging, friendship, and reinvention. It's structured around four seasonal breaks, with each episode quietly representing the shifting allegiances and uncertainties that exist within the group. While comedic in tone, the show is deeply rooted in its performances and sustained throughout.

Netflix's broader renewal strategy for The Four Seasons

Netflix’s 2025 upfront strategy signals a clear shift toward genre diversity and franchise longevity. The eight newly ordered series span a broad spectrum—from high-concept dramas and period pieces to ensemble comedies—catering to varied tones and audiences. This deliberate range reflects Netflix’s ongoing commitment to building a globally appealing, diversified content slate.

The rapid renewal of The Four Seasons indicates Netflix's enthusiasm for capitalizing on early success. View tallies revealed their role in determining renewal, and with over 24 million views in two weeks, the show had a compelling case. Nevertheless, the firm has not provided detailed statistics beyond view counts or commented on rethinking the cast or story for Season 2.

What lies ahead for The Four Seasons

Though the plot points remain unrevealed, Season 2 will undoubtedly continue the season-long vacation theme, building on the interpersonal relationships established in Season 1. Due to the success of the show and the cast as an ensemble, fans can anticipate more in-depth developments of side characters and possibly longer storylines.

Whether or not the show will stay in this tone or devolve into something more serialized isn't possible to determine. But the underlying premise—tracking longtime friends through life's highs and lows at midlife—has so much happening that it can be thrown through the wringer without altering genres.

Placing in Netflix's slate

With The Four Seasons' return, Netflix adds a no-frills, grown-up-comedy to its 2025 roster—a genre that is all too frequently shortchanged amid the streamer's more fantastical, high-stakes offerings. Its success also validates the staying power of slower, character-based storytelling in a streaming market where much of the action is often fueled by spectacle and virality.

While the scope of Netflix's content push in 2025 remains to be seen, the inclusion of The Four Seasons among its list of revamped titles suggests a deliberate attempt to blend fan-pleasing IP with deep original fare.

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Also read: Every episode of The Four Seasons on Netflix, ranked

The Four Seasons cast and character guide: Who plays whom in Netflix's new miniseries.

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