'The Idol' to 'The Great': Shows canceled during Hollywood strikes
Due to the rise in the number of shows over the past few years (as many as 500 original scripts per year) and not enough viewers for each, both OTT platforms and television networks were planning for a downsizing long before the Hollywood strike began. So, as the writers and actors went on strike in May, these shows were shut down.
'The Idol' (2023)
Released in June 2023, HBO's latest series The Idol received poor reviews on its premiere and was canceled after its first season comprising five episodes. Created by Sam Levinson, Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye, and Reza Fahim, the drama series follows an aspiring pop idol (Lily-Rose Depp) and her complicated relationship with Tesfaye's character, the dark world of music and stardom in between.
'How I Met Your Father' (2022-2023)
The American sitcom How I Met Your Father follows a mother telling her son how she met his father. Premiered on Hulu in January 2022, it was taken off air in July 2023 after two seasons. While How I Met Your Mother fans were disappointed with the ending, the How I Met Your Father fans didn't even get to know who the father was.
'A League of Their Own' (2022)
Created by and starring Will Graham and Abbi Jacobson, the sports comedy-drama series A League of Their Own is adapted from the 1992 namesake TV show. The four-episode first season of the show premiered in August 2022 and was scrapped this year during the strike even before a second season could come. It follows the WWII all-women professional baseball league.
'The Great' (2020-2023)
The alternate historical and satirical comedy-drama series The Great or The Great: An Occasionally True Story follows the rising power of the Empress of All Russia's Catherine the Great. Based on Tony McNamara's 2008 namesake play, the series premiered on Hulu in May 2020 and was canceled in August 2023 after its third season. The series received seven Primetime Emmy nominations.
'A Black Lady Sketch Show' (2019-2023)
Created by Robin Thede, HBO's television sketch comedy series A Black Lady Sketch Show aired in August 2019 and was canceled in July 2023 after its fourth season. Its all-Black women cast features Quinta Brunson, Laci Mosley, and Ashley Nicole Black, and guests include Angela Bassett, Laverne Cox, Nicole Byer, Amber Riley, Miguel, Omarion, Raven-Symoné, Gabrielle Union, Kyla Pratt, Wanda Sykes, and Patti LaBelle.
