Season 3 of 'I'm Sorry' won't be finished as TBS shelves series due to COVID-19

Andrea Savage and Tom Everett Scott in "I'm Sorry." (Image credit: WarnerMedia)

The smart, sexy, hilarious (and at times very, very wrong) series I'm Sorry has been canceled, show creator Andrea Savage has announced. COVID-19 — and the costs associated with shifting a show that was shot entirely on location in homes and restaurants and other places — was the death blow, Savage said.

The news came as a shock to pretty much anyone familiar with I'm Sorry, given that the third season was ordered back in the summer of 2019, 10 episodes had been written, and two already had been filmed.

"We realized we needed to shift the way we shoot our show," Savage said over the string of five videos, visibly fighting back tears. "And with COVID and the protocols, that kind of shooting is just gone, for the foreseeable future. So we needed to get to soundstages, and we though that was going to be able to get worked out. And it looked like maybe it would — and then, suddenly, it couldn't. We've been told that it's too expensive for them to cover the COVID costs and move us to soundstages."

I'm Sorry is an irreverent look at the family life of a comedy writer (Savage) and an entertainment lawyer (Tom Everett Scott) in Los Angeles, along with their daughter and extended friends and family. The series was set to move from TruTV to TBS for the third season, but the parent company of both networks — WarnerMedia — has undergone some major shifts in recent weeks, a fact Savage alluded to.

"I'm probably telling too much," Savage said. "I want you guys to have context as to why this is happening. There's more going on in the world of it all — there's company changes and belt-tightening and lots of other stuff."

(5 videos) It is with the saddest heart that I am posting this. @tbsnetwork has decided to permanently shut down season 3 of @imsorrytv due to Covid costs. With all of our episodes already written and partially shot, we are all still in shock and don’t have all the answers. I tried to explain it in the videos here. Yes, there are 5 of them!! I LIKE TO TALK! But as you guys have been the backbone of this show, i wanted to let you know asap and give you some context. If anyone is looking for a show that has 10 eps already written, partially shot and ready to go, you know where to find us! I just want you to know that @joeyslamon @a24 and I fought as hard as we could, but forces bigger than us are at play. We love you. We will be okay. I am not going anywhere. You can’t get rid of me or my large teeth that easily. @trutv @tomeverettscott @netflix Andrea Savage
A photo posted by @andreasavage on Aug 25, 2020 at 5:59pm PDT

Along with Savage and Scott, I'm Sorry stars Olive Petrucci, Judy Greer, Martin Mull, Steve Zissis, Jason Mantzoukas, Kathy Baker and Nelson Franklin. The first two seasons of I'm Sorry are available on Netflix.

"Obviously we're heartbroken for so many reasons," Savage continued. "But I think the main reason is that we have 10 amazing episodes that we're not going to be able to share with you guys. We meet Mike's family, we cover homelessness with your kids, sleepovers ... And that's just a tough pill to swallow that that's not going to be able to be out in the world.

"I just want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much all of you guys who have supported our show. ... It matters, and this means so much to us."

Phil spent his 20s in the newsroom of the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, his 30s on the road for AndroidCentral.com and Mobile Nations and is the Dad part of Modern Dad.