HBO has made a decision on the fate of Abel Tesfaye's first series "The Idol."
On Monday, August 28, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that HBO has cancelled the controversial series after one season. Tesfaye, formerly known as "The Weeknd," created the show with Euphoria's Sam Levinson and also starred as "Tedros" alongside Lily-Rose Depp as troubled pop star "Jocelyn." The outlet reports that the show received "mostly negative reviews from critics" and got lower viewership than most of HBO's newer series. There weren't any permanent plans to keep the show going for numerous seasons, but the option to continue it was up in the air until now.
“'The Idol' was one of HBO’s most provocative original programs, and we’re pleased by the strong audience response,” an HBO spokesperson told THR. “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.”
The series made its grand debut at Cannes Film Festival in France before it officially premiered on Max back in June. The first season only had five episodes, but the soundtrack was epic. Ahead of the show, Tesfaye delivered several new songs produced by himself, Metro Boomin and Mike Dean that also appeared in the show like "Double Fantasy" featuring Future, "False Idols" with Lil Baby, and "Popular" with Playboi Carti and Madonna.
Tesfaye doesn't appear to be bothered by the news. He's currently preparing to embark on his upcoming world tour in Latin America, Australia and New Zealand.