'The Idol' cancelled after one season and a weak end
Today in "Oh no! Anyway," HBO's raunch-cringe music-industry drama The Idol will not be returning for a second season of... whatever that was.
The series, which starred Lily-Rose Depp and The "Abel Tesfaye" Weeknd as a pop star on the rise and a rat-tailed cult leader respectively, made headlines for (mostly) the wrong reasons during its five-episode run. Despite boasting actual pop stars (Troye Sivan, BLACKPINK's Jennie) among its cast, its approach to chronicling chart-topping, million-follower fame in 2023 was patchy and confusing, and it generated more headlines for its often unintentionally hilarious tone, storytelling choices and icky behind-the-scenes drama than for the (bizarre) story it was telling.
"The Idol was one of HBO's most provocative original programs, and we're pleased by the strong audience response," a spokesperson for HBO told Variety and other outlets. "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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On one hand, the demise of The Idol could clear the way for indie darling Amy Seimetz to one day create a version of the thoughtful, feminist take on fame that the show was originally pitched as (#ReleaseTheSeimetzCut) before undergoing significant reshoots under her replacement, Euphoria showrunner Sam Levinson. On the other hand, Levinson is now free to spend more time thinking up reasons for the young women in his shows to be naked.
The first and final season of The Idol is now streaming on Max.
Caitlin is Mashable's Australian Editor. She has written for The Guardian, Junkee, and any number of plucky little music and culture publications that were run on the smell of an oily rag and have since been flushed off the Internet like a dead goldfish by their new owners. She also worked at Choice, Australia's consumer advocacy non-profit and magazine, and as such has surprisingly strong opinions about whitegoods. She enjoys big dumb action movies, big clever action movies, cult Canadian comedies set in small towns, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Replacements, smoky mezcal, revenge bedtime procrastination, and being left the hell alone when she's reading.
