Rachel Bloom Reflects on ABC’s Decision to Cancel ‘Do You Want Kids?’ Pilot: ‘I’ve Mourned Multiple Failures’

Rachel Bloom took to Instagram on Thursday to address the cancellation of her ABC comedy pilot ‘Do You Want Kids?’, co-created with her husband Dan Gregor. The news, which broke the same day, left the Golden Globe winner reflecting on loss and the future she had imagined for the project.

“Since people — including myself — mostly use this place primarily to post about success, I want to give a shout out to my other buddy, Failure,” Bloom wrote in her post.

In her emotional message, Bloom admitted she was mourning not just the pilot itself but also the life she thought she would lead with it. “When a project dies, I mourn multiple things. I mourn the project itself, but I also mourn the life I thought I was going to lead with the project becoming a reality,” she explained.

The canceled pilot, starring Bloom alongside Rory Scovel and directed by Trent O’Donnell, explored a “Sliding Doors”-style narrative. The story followed a married couple through two timelines—one with children and one without—examining marriage and adulthood in each scenario.

Bloom’s Vision for ‘Do You Want Kids?’

Bloom detailed the milestones she had anticipated for the project, including:

• Attending the Upfronts in New York in May.
• Hiring an L.A.-based writing staff for the series.
• Beginning principal photography in Los Angeles from August to October.
• Developing multiple episode ideas and season-long story arcs.

“We had so many episode ideas, multiple season arcs,” she wrote.

Reflecting on Past Failures and Growth

Bloom acknowledged that “Do You Want Kids?” is not her first setback but emphasized the value of mourning what could have been. “Over the past 6 years I’ve mourned multiple failures, multiple timelines,” she said. “But I never mourn the work.”

Bloom’s Recent and Upcoming Projects

The cancellation marks Bloom’s first TV series since ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ concluded in 2019 after four seasons. Since then, she has:

• Released her Netflix comedy special ‘Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Special’ in 2023.
• Co-starred in Hulu’s short-lived but critically acclaimed industry comedy ‘Reboot’.
• Starred in the upcoming sequel ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’, now in theaters.

The Instagram post, which also included a link to her original message, has resonated with fans and industry peers alike, sparking conversations about resilience in the entertainment industry.