It seems a once-promising HBO show might be about to get the boot with rumors swirling that HBO has no intentions of proceeding with a second season.
If recent years have taught us anything, it’s that you never know when a network might pull the plug on a series — regardless of how well-received it might appear or be. Recent years have seen a number of hit series meet abrupt ends regardless of rating success or fan reception, with some shows never even getting to hit the airwaves at all due to companies taking write-offs.
So when rumors began to swirl recently that HBO was already pulling the plug on The Idol, there was an understandable panic among fans of the new HBO show as it’s not a move that would be out of the question in today’s landscape.
The rumor mill started churning following the release of a report from the New York Post which suggested the HBO series was going to be one-and-done with an insider source telling the outlet, “This was never meant to be a long-running show, it was always … a limited series.”
The news came as a surprise to fans of the series which created a lot of buzz — some good, some bad — ahead of its premiere and is among HBO’s flashier new originals.
Is The Idol canceled?
At this time, HBO has not yet made a decision about the future of The Idol with HBO’s PR team making it clear there is currently nothing to the rumors that the show has been canceled. However, it’s also important to note it’s not unlike a network to say one thing and then do the other as announcing the cancellation of a show that’s only episodes into its run isn’t exactly a smart business movie. So while the rumor could be true that the network has already decided to pass on a second season, we’re not likely to know the show’s future until after its season concludes.
Here is what HBO had to say about the cancellation rumors circulating:
"It is being misreported that a decision on a second season of The Idol has been determined. It has not, and we look forward to sharing the next episode with you Sunday night."
Every HBO show renewed and canceled (2023 updates)
Although it’s not yet been determined whether The Idol will be coming back for another seaosn or not, HBO has determined the fate of many of its other original series with a handful of shows coming to a close via final seasons or cancellations, and another handful locking in a future season at the network. Eager to know what HBO shows have been canceled and renewed? Here is a breakdown of every current HBO show’s renewal status:
- Avenue 5: Canceled
- Barry: Ended
- Curb Your Enthusiasm: Renewed
- Euphoria: Renewed
- The Gilded Age: Renewed
- His Dark Materials: Ended
- House of the Dragon: Renewed
- Industry: Renewed
- The Last of Us: Renewed
- Los Espookys: Canceled
- Perry Mason: Canceled
- The Rehearsal: Renewed
- Somebody Somewhere: Renewed
- Succession: Ended
- True Detective: Renewed
- Winning Time: Renewed
- The White Lotus: Renewed