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Television

Rita Moreno and ‘One Day at a Time’ cast say goodbye: ‘There are no words’

The cast of "One Day at a Time" embrace
Isabella Gomez, back left, Justina Machado, seated left, Rita Moreno and Marcel Ruiz in “One Day at a Time.”
(Carin Baer / Netflix)
By Christi CarrasStaff Writer 
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The Alvarez family is saying goodbye for the last time after the showrunners of “One Day at a Time” declared the beloved series “officially over” after four seasons.

Shortly after the news broke Tuesday, cast members Justina Machado, Marcel Ruiz and Isabella Gomez and Rita Moreno all penned heartfelt messages on social media reflecting on their experiences making the groundbreaking Cuban American sitcom inspired by Norman Lear’s 1975 original of the same name.

“Thank you,” Machado, who portrayed Army veteran and devoted mother Penelope Alvarez, wrote on Instagram. “You changed my life . So much love so many laughs and tears . There are no words to describe what this cast these show runners the crew the writers the execs mean to me.

“But I’ll say it again this show and my beautiful cast changed my LIFE . Goodnight my loves what an incredible ride it was.”

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Gomez, who made strides for queer representation as Machado’s outspoken on-screen daughter, Elena Alvarez, also expressed her love for her costars in a lengthy Instagram caption that spilled over into the comment section.

“Okay you guys, it’s officially over,” Gomez began her post. “I know a lot of you are probably exhausted from the roller coaster this has been and I totally get if you’re over reading sappy ODAAT posts, but for those of you who aren’t, this ones for us. ... Not sorry.”

After running for three seasons on Netflix, “One Day at a Time” was controversially canceled by the streaming giant in 2019 and was later picked up by Pop TV amid mounting outrage from its loyal fans.

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Television

‘One Day at a Time’ is ‘officially over,’ showrunners say

(L-R): Isabella Gomez as Elena and Justina Machado as Penelope in "Penny Pinching", ONE DAY AT A TIME. Photo Credit: Nicole Wilder/POP TV.

Television

‘One Day at a Time’ is ‘officially over,’ showrunners say

Gloria Calderón Kellett and Mike Royce announced Tuesday that there would be no more new episodes of “One Day at a Time,” which was recently canceled by Pop TV.

The fourth and final season of the show also debuted on CBS in October but was never completed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We thought we’d be back,” Gomez continued in the comments. “And then 1 week turned to 2 and 2 turned to 3 and eventually I had a sinking feeling. ... My hands are clammy writing this. My hearts racing, my throat’s tight and the sheet beneath me is dotted with tears.

“I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Elena when Netflix cancelled us. I wasn’t ready when I cleaned up my dressing room in June and I’m not ready now. So I won’t. I’ll carry her tenacity, her bravery, her passion and her heart with me forever. Goodnight, my sweet Elena.”

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Ruiz, who grew up on camera as Elena’s spunky little brother, shared a sweet still of his character, Alex, and his grandmother, Lydia (Rita Moreno), along with his thoughts on the legacy of “One Day at a Time.”

“Grateful for this life changing journey and the impact ODAAT will keep having on future generations,” he tweeted.

“The fact that we were able to come back for another season is amazing! I know this show will be remembered for the love it received over [46] episodes full of powerful stories.”

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Last but certainly not least was screen icon Moreno, who weighed in on the cancellation late Wednesday afternoon by thanking Lear and producer Brent Miller, as well as showrunners Gloria Calderón Kellett and Mike Royce.

“I will never open the curtains the same way again!” Moreno captioned a still of her character making a grand entrance. “To my beloved, funny, heart breaking cast....,well, they couldn’t have done it without us! Warmly, with respect, your devoted admirer, Rita.”

Read more love letters to “One Day at a Time,” including statements from Calderón Kellett and Royce, below.

Television
Christi Carras

Christi Carras is an entertainment reporter at the Los Angeles Times. She was previously a Times intern after graduating from UCLA and has also worked at Variety, the Hollywood Reporter and CNN.

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