Paramount+ has canceled the Robert and Michelle King-produced crime thriller “Happy Face” after one season, Variety confirms. The decision comes approximately two months following the conclusion of its eight-episode debut season on May 1.
Inspired by harrowing true events, “Happy Face” chronicled the life of Melissa Moore (Annaleigh Ashford), who discovered in 1995 that her father, Keith Hunter Jesperson (Dennis Quaid), was the notorious “Happy Face Killer.” Based on Moore’s memoir “Shattered Silence” (co-written with M. Bridget Cook) and the iHeartPodcasts series “Happy Face,” the show premiered March 20. It followed an adult Melissa as she changed her name and severed ties with her incarcerated father, only for him to manipulate his way back into her life. The series explored her journey to reconcile her past, confront her father’s devastating impact on victims’ families, and grapple with her own identity.
The ensemble cast featured James Wolk, Tamera Tomakili, Khiyla Aynne, Benjamin Mackey, Connor Paton, and David Harewood alongside Ashford and Quaid. The real Keith Hunter Jesperson, named for the smiley faces he drew on taunting letters to authorities and media, remains imprisoned for life in Oregon after confessing to eight murders.
Produced by CBS Studios with iHeartPodcasts, King Size Productions, and Semi-Formal Productions, “Happy Face” was helmed by showrunner/executive producer Jennifer Cacicio. Executive producers included Robert and Michelle King, Michael Showalter, Conal Byrne, Melissa G. Moore, Will Pearson, Liz Glotzer, and Jordana Mollick, who also directed the premiere. Paramount Global Content Distribution handled worldwide rights.
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