The Idol Cancelled at HBO
The Idol‘s tour is over: HBO has cancelled the controversial music industry drama starring Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd after just one season, according to our sister site Variety.
“The Idol was one of HBO’s most provocative original programs, and we’re pleased by the strong audience response,” a network spokesperson said in a statement. “After much thought and consideration, HBO, as well as the creators and producers have decided not to move forward with a second season. We’re grateful to the creators, cast, and crew for their incredible work.”
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The drama from Euphoria creator Sam Levinson starred Rose-Depp as a Britney-esque pop starlet named Jocelyn who falls into an obsessive relationship with a mysterious club promoter played by The Weeknd. It was plagued by bad buzz before it even began airing, with an explosive Rolling Stone article detailing turmoil behind the scenes, including the exit of original director Amy Seimetz and accusations of creating “sexual torture porn” leveled at co-creators Levinson and The Weeknd.
The Idol premiered to scathing reviews at the Cannes Film Festival before debuting on HBO in June. Rumors swirled of a swift cancellation, and while HBO pushed back on those, the initially announced six-episode freshman season was reduced to five. Last month’s season finale saw Jocelyn fight back against The Weeknd’s character Tedros and use him to reinvigorate her career while cutting him out of her inner circle; read our full recap here. TVLine readers were not kind, giving both the finale and The Idol‘s freshman season a “D-minus” grade.
Cable TV Scorecard: Renewals, Cancellations and Premiere Dates
TVLine’s Cable Scorecard has been updated to reflect the news. Were you hoping to hear a sophomore album from The Idol? Hit the comments to share your thoughts on the cancellation.
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