Children Ruin Everything is a Canadian television sitcom,[1] that premiered on CTV on January 12, 2022.[2] Created by Kurt Smeaton for CTV, and originally Roku and later The CW, and co-produced by New Metric Media and Bell Media Studios, the series focuses on Astrid (Meaghan Rath) and James (Aaron Abrams), a young couple struggling to define their lives outside of their role as parents.[3]
Smeaton described the series as inspired by his understanding that parenting "is time-consuming and expensive and frustrating. So I wanted to create a show that acknowledged that but also showed the other side, which is having a family is worth it."[4]
On February 4, 2022, CTV and Roku renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on September 19, 2022 in Canada. It premiered in the United States on February 3, 2023, with the first 8 episodes of the season released, with the second 8-episode half releasing May 12, 2023.[7] On April 18, 2023, it was announced that CTV had renewed the series for a third season, comprising 10 episodes.[8] On May 6, 2024, it was announced that CTV had renewed the series for a fourth season, comprising 16 episodes.[9]
In the United States, it debuted on The Roku Channel on May 13, 2022, as a part of Roku Originals.[15] In September 2023, due to cuts in spending on original programming and removing series that were unsuccessful upon launch as well as the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes in Hollywood, it was announced that the series, along with several other original titles, was removed from The Roku Channel.[16]
On May 18, 2023, The CW announced it had picked up the series for U.S. linear broadcast; it premiered on July 24.[17] Season 2 premiered on September 11. On December 12, The CW announced that it had acquired the third season, the first to air exclusively on the network following its removal from The Roku Channel. Season 3 premiered on January 11, 2024. [18] Season 4 premiered on November 29, 2024.[19]