Tara McCauley October 22nd, 2020 - 5:17 PM
The Netflix coming-of-age comedy Never Have I Ever, from the mind of Mindy Kaling (The Office, The Mindy Project), will begin production on its second season in early November. Variety broke the exclusive story on Thursday, which Kaling then excitedly shared with fans on her Twitter.
Let’s gooooooo!!!!! https://t.co/sKiGXyIwa8
— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) October 22, 2020
Never Have I Ever follows the teenage mishaps of the awkward, short-tempered and overachieving Devi Vishwakumar as she navigates friendships, romance and family dynamics after the loss of her father. Canadian actress and newcomer Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever) brings the character of Devi to life on-screen. The character’s charm quickly won a significant audience on the streaming platform, with around 40 million households tuning in, according to Variety. Never Have I Ever‘s reception earned the series a second season at Netflix as well as three People’s Choice Award nominations.
we’re frickin’ STOKED to say the least 💛 love y’all. pic.twitter.com/bhup0S7bSA
— Never Have I Ever (@neverhaveiever) October 1, 2020
COVID-19 has taught television fans that a renewal does not necessarily mean much, particularly when beloved shows such as GLOW, On Becoming a God in Central Florida and The Society receiving post-renewal cancellations as a result of pandemic complications. Never Have I Ever‘s July renewal, announced by the cast in a delightful Twitter video, no longer guaranteed a second season would actually come to fruition given the tolls the pandemic has taken on Netflix alone. A combination of COVID-19 uncertainty and Netflix’s recent “spate of one-and-done shows”, means the announcement of a production timeline for season 2 of Never Have I Ever spells relief for fans, via Variety.
❗️❗️ MAITREYI GOT BANGS ❗️❗️ oh yeah, and Never Have I Ever got a season 2 🙃 pic.twitter.com/sHJhjQMmXb
— Never Have I Ever (@neverhaveiever) July 1, 2020
November 10 has been set as the tentative start date for filming the Netflix comedy’s second season, though Variety adds “sources stress that precise start date isn’t set in stone given the unpredictability of production during the pandemic.” As is the case with other returning Netflix shows such as The Witcher and Stranger Things, Never Have I Ever’s production must take the time to implement proper COVID-19 guidelines in order to keep the returning cast and crew safe.
I guess the cat is out of the bag (why is that even a saying, like it makes no sense) https://t.co/EpBPZbq2ON
— Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (@ramakrishnannn) October 22, 2020
Ramakrishnan likewise took to Twitter on Thursday to share the news and excitement now that filming is right around the corner. After July’s renewal announcement, the Canadian actress posted a video on Instagram of herself and the cast on the show’s final day of filming season one. Ramakrishnan’s Instagram post showed herself and castmates dressed as Scooby Doo characters, which was not for any scene that was apart of the show itself. Jaren Lewison (Never Have I Ever), who plays Devi’s rival-turned-love-interest Ben Gross, confirmed with Vulture that the cast snuck off to Universal Studio’s Halloween Horror Nights after the last day of shooting, dressed as the Scooby gang. Ramakrishnan shared that she missed her mystery gang, however they will soon be reunited to resumed their off-screen antics and resume filming on the show’s second season, via Instagram.
Variety speculates that this newly announced production schedule could bring audiences a second season of Never Have I Ever by mid-2021.
