According to Comicbook.com, HBO has decided to cancel the revival talk-show Back on the Record with Bob Costas after just two seasons. The decision to end Back on the Record comes amid HBO’s recent surge in cancellations due to their recent merger with its new parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery. More on the Warner/ Discovery Merger can be found here.
As written by Comicbook, Back on the Record is an interview series which releases four episodes throughout the year and features Costas in various intricate, detailed discussions about sports, entertainment, and pop culture icons with a variety of celebrity guest stars. This was the third HBO show helmed by Costas following On the Record with Bob Costas, which ran from 2001-2004, and Costas Now, which ran from 2005 to 2009.
The cancellation of Back on the Record is just the latest in an unfortunate line of behind-the-scenes cuts at HBO and HBO Max, beginning with the cancellation of both Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt earlier this year back in August. Both films were completed and set to debut on HBO Max exclusively but were later reported to be axed due to tax write-downs and cost-cutting measures. For more information on HBO’s recent streak of cancellations, check out our other article here.
A great number of anticipated projects and beloved series have already been taken down by Warner Bros. Discovery and according to Comicbook, no existing show or movie is safe from being cancelled or written off by the streaming conglomerate, who are allegedly making decisions on a case-by-case basis.
When asked about the cancellation of his show, Costas stated, “I have always been proud of my association with HBO, and the type of programming we have been able to do over the years. I am grateful for the invaluable contributions of my many talented HBO colleagues past and present, and to Ross Greenburg, Rick Bernstein, and most recently, Nina Rosenstein for their support and for the opportunity to be part of a network that has long been the gold standard.”