HBO Max shocked audiences and critics by canceling its acclaimed comedy, Minx, after previously greenlighting a second season. The show was already shooting its sophomore effort, and star Jake Johnson took to Instagram to announce it would search for a new home in another network.
Minx joins other shows that had their previously-announced renewals reversed by the studio. Whether because of financial trouble or a change in direction, these shows tasted the triumph of earning a renewal only to have it suddenly taken away, angering fans, confusing critics, and giving a sense of uncertainty to the already chaotic business of television.
'Minx' (2022)
HBO Max has several great shows, but Minx was one of its most refreshing offerings. The show, set in the 1970s, stars Ophelia Lovibond and Jake Johnson and follows a young feminist who creates the first women's erotic magazine alongside a low-rent publisher.
Minx received a season 2 renewal on May 2022, two months after its debut. However, HBO Max reversed their decision and canceled the show on December 2022 while season 2 was in mid-production. The show might find a new home, especially because season 2 is near completion, but there's a real chance that fans may never see its sophomore effort.
'Dangerous Liaisons' (2022)
Based on Pierre Choderlos de Lachlos' seminal novel of the same name, Dangerous Liaisons stars Alice Englert and Nicholas Denton. The plot centers on a young prostitute and a libertine who plot and scheme their way up the aristocratic class in 18th-century Paris.
A must-read classic novel, Dangerous Liaisons has received many adaptations throughout the years, each proving reasonably popular. Thus, it came as no surprise when Starz renewed the show for season 2 before season 1 even premiered. However, what was surprising was the abrupt decision to reverse the renewal, citing disastrous ratings as the reason behind the cancelation.
'Glow' (2017 - 2019)
Netflix is no stranger to renewing shows before backtracking on their choices. One of the most infamous examples is GLOW, the beloved comedy starring Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin. The show centered on the lives of a group of female performers in a wrestling organization in Los Angeles during the 1980s.
GLOW was a critical darling, widely considered one of Netflix's best originals. The show went on for three seasons, with a fourth and final season announced on September 2019. Production was already underway, with one episode wrapped before it got shut down because of the pandemic. Netflix reversed the renewal on October 2020, claiming complications with the pandemic and giving a bittersweet ending to this groundbreaking show.
'On Becoming A God In Central Florida' (2019)
The familiar but still underrated Kirsten Dunst starred in On Becoming a God in Central Florida. The show followed Krystal Stubbs, a cunning woman living in Orlando, who climbs her way up a multi-billion dollar pyramid scheme.
One of the best dark comedies on television, On Becoming a God in Central Florida had everything to become a new classic, especially Dunt's tour-de-force performance. Showtime renewed the show for season 2 on September 2019, a month after its debut. However, the network reversed its decision and canceled the show a year later, on October 2020, citing complications with the pandemic.
'Queen Sono' (2020)
The South African crime drama Queen Sono premiered on Netflix on February 2020. The show follows a South African agent who takes down underground criminal operations while dealing with several personal struggles.
As Netflix's first African original, expectations were high for Queen Sono. The show received positive notices and performed well enough to receive a season 2 renewal on April 2020. However, the pandemic introduced unprecedented complications, and the streamer walked back on its decision on November 2020, canceling the series after one season.
'The Society' (2019)
Arguably the most infamous case of a streamer backtracking on a previously announced season, The Society lives on in infamy as one of the shows Netflix canceled too quickly. The show starred a large ensemble led by Kathryn Newton and followed a group of teenagers forced to survive on their own after everyone disappears and a large forest appears around the town, alienating them from the outside world.
The Society received positive reviews from critics and became an unexpected hit with audiences. Netflix renewed the show for season 2 on July 2019, two months after its May debut. However, production was halted by the pandemic, and the streamer ultimately reversed the renewal and pulled the plug on the show on August 2020.
'Vinyl' (2016)
Vinyl had everything to succeed on HBO, including Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger as creators and executive producers. Bobby Cannavale starred as a record producer trying to keep his company afloat amid the changing musical landscape of 1970s New York.
HBO announced a second season shortly after Vinyl's Pilot premiered, albeit with a significant revamp. However, the network reversed the renewal four months later, on June 2016. Scorsese lamented the cancelation and claimed the show would've gone better had he been more hands-on with its development and direction.
'Why Women Kill' (2019 - 2021)
Why Women Kill premiered in 2019 on CBS All Access as Mark Cherry's answer to the anthology movement taking over television. The show followed individual stories set in different time periods and chronicled the circumstances leading to crimes committed by women. Lucy Liu, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste starred in season 1.
The show's second season premiered on Paramount+, with Allison Tollman and Lana Parilla starring. It received a season 3 renewal on December 2021, but plans were ultimately scrapped, and the show got canceled on July 2022 before the season entered production.
'Stumptown' (2019)
The pandemic sent many television shows into chaos. With so much uncertainty, studios were forced to make tough decisions and cancel some shows, including Stumptown. Starring Cobie Smulders and Jake Johnson, the plot centers on a former Marine dealing with PTSD who becomes a PI in Portland, Oregon.
Crime shows became especially popular in the 21st century, and Stumptown had everything to succeed. The series received a season 2 renewal in May 2020, but delays caused by the pandemic prompted ABC to backtrack their decision and cancel the show in September 2020. The network was trying to find the series a new home in another network or streamer, but no news about the prospect has come out since.
'I Am Not Okay With This' (2020)
Netflix is now infamous for its cutthroat approach to renewals and cancelations. If a show isn't a hit out of the gate or a social media juggernaut, it gets the axe from the father of all streamers. Such was the case for the coming-of-age black comedy I Am Not Okay With This, starring Sophia Lillis and Wyatt Oleff. The premise followed a teenage girl who discovered she had telekinetic powers.
I Am Not Okay With This received positive reviews and fan acclaim. Netflix never officially announced a second season, but sources claimed the show had been "quietly renewed," with scripts written and plans to go back to production. However, Netflix canceled the show, citing complications with the pandemic; coincidentally, the streamer canceled it the same day it canceled The Society.