TV drama The Idol – which had some of the worst reviews of the year – has reportedly been cancelled.
The music industry satire, starring Lily-Rose Depp and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, was blasted by critics when it was released. Rumours of the show's cancellation began before its finale had even aired, but were challenged by studio HBO.
However, the company's since told US magazine Variety The Idol won't be getting a second season. It quoted an HBO spokesperson, who said the show was one of its “most provocative original programmes” and it had been “pleased by the strong audience response”.
They added that the company, creators and producers had agreed “not to proceed” with a second season, and thanked all involved for “their incredible work”. Many people thought The Idol was doomed when HBO cut its original six-episode run down to five, although the company issued a statement after the finale insisting its fate hadn't been decided.
The fall of The Idol
The Idol – created by Euphoria mastermind Sam Levinson – was met with excitement when it was first announced.
It follows the story of Jocelyn, a popstar played by Lily-Rose who gets involved with mysterious nightclub boss figure, Tedros, played by The Weeknd, who also co-created the show. But the hype turned sour when reports of production troubles and a “toxic atmosphere” on set emerged.
The cast was forced to defend the show at a pre-release press conference where Levinson told reporters The Idol would be the biggest show of the summer.
That prediction turned out to be a little optimistic. When it finally landed, the response to the show was almost universally bad. It was called “the worst programme ever made”, “toe-curlingly naff”, and criticised for alleged misogyny and shallow characters.
It currently has a 19% critic rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. Sam Levinson and the cast haven't yet commented on news of the show's cancellation. The Weeknd has been back to his day job, performing gigs at stadiums around the world.
Lily-Rose Depp is due to appear in the upcoming vampire film Nosferatu. As for Levinson, he's been working on season 3 of Euphoria, but it's unclear when it will be released due to Hollywood strikes and the death of Fezco actor Angus Cloud.
— CutC by bbc.com
