Apple TV has already renewed Shrinking for a fourth season, but now the co-creator and star is revealing whether the dramedy can continue beyond that.
Shrinking premiered in 2023, with Jason Segel serving in multiple roles, including as co-creator (with Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein), executive producer and star. The actor plays therapist Jimmy Laird, who takes unexpected approaches to his job after losing his wife. Shrinking season 3 was released on Apple TV earlier this year, and season 4 just wrapped filming this month.
Whether Shrinking gets a fifth season remains to be seen, but Segel is hopeful. During an interview with The Direct, he admitted that “as long as we can think of stuff to make it worthwhile, we’ll keep going…And as long as we’re having a good time.”
Despite having a huge on-camera and behind-the-scenes presence on Shrinking, Segel is still able to have a movie career, which he credits to the “amazing writing staff who’s working really hard” at creating quality storylines that keep fans coming back time after time while he’s away.
According to Segel, those same writers have “really cracked a whole new set of story.” While he can’t reveal anything just yet, the ideas that are flowing right now in the writers’ room could ensure that Shrinking “go[es] on for quite a while.”
Jason Segel: “We keep saying that as long as we can think of stuff to make it worthwhile, we’ll keep going…And as long as we’re having a good time — and right now we’re having a great time. I think we’ve cracked…I caught a really great, cushy ride on Shrinking because there’s an amazing writing staff who’s working really hard at this stuff behind closed doors while I’m, like, off doing movies. But I think that they’ve really cracked a whole new set of story. I can’t give too much away, but that makes me feel like this could go on for quite a while. I mean, I did a show for nine seasons, and that show was 24 episodes a year. So, when you think about Shrinking, it’ll be three years, I think it’ll be a total of 36 episodes. I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s like, barely one season of How I Met Your Mother.'”
Shrinking was originally envisioned as having a three-season arc, and that’s how the premise was pitched to Apple TV. However, it proved to be a hit with viewers, with the most recent season becoming Apple’s most-viewed series in the first half of 2026.
Shrinking has also earned overwhelmingly positive reviews, with an average critic score of 93% and an audience score of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. During its first three seasons, the show has been nominated almost 20 times at the Emmys, and Michael Urie won a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Other cast members include Harrison Ford, Luke Tennie, Lukita Maxwell, Christa Miller, Ted McGinley, Lily Rabe, Wendie Malick, Vernee Watson, Damon Wayans Jr., Claudia Sulewski, Cobie Smulders and Goldstein. Joining them in recurring roles for season 4 are Karen Gillan, Judith Light and Scott Foley.
Shrinking season 3 showed Jimmy’s mentor, Dr. Paul Rhoades, announcing his retirement, and Gaby Evans picking up the pieces left behind at the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center. Jimmy also experienced a lot of personal growth on his journey and made progress with Sofi.
Amid all these changes, Shrinking now has a wide-open path going forward in season 4 and beyond. Lawrence has already hinted at a potential time jump, which would shake up the storylines as well, as viewers discover how each character has evolved when the show picks back up.
Apple TV hasn’t revealed the premiere date for Shrinking season 4, but a 2027 return seems likely.
- Release Date
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January 27, 2023
- Network
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Apple TV
- Showrunner
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Bill Lawrence
