The controversial HBO show The Idol has been canceled after just one season. Co-creator and director Sam Levinson (Euphoria) stepped into his role after the original director Amy Seimetz (Pet Sematary) left, leading to a delay in the show’s release as most of the episodes were re-shot. Once the show aired on HBO, it was immediately making headlines as viewers had polarizing opinions on the subject matter, acting, and storyline. According to Deadline, “However, while both critical and audience reception of both Euphoria and The White Lotus were largely positive, the same cannot be said of The Idol.”

The Idol stars Abel Tesfaye, also known as the performer The Weeknd, Lily-Rose Depp (Voyagers), Hank Azaria (The Simpsons), Troye Sivan (Three Months), Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek), and more. The show follows Jocelyn, played by Depp, who is a pop superstar trying to put her name back on the map after canceling her tour due to a nervous breakdown. While still battling the emotional struggles of losing her abusive mother, Jocelyn meets and forms a relationship with talent scout and cult leader Tedros, played by Tesfaye. Viewing data for the show has only been released for the first two episodes, with the premiere drawing in 913,000 viewers from HBO and its streaming service Max. Via Deadline, “After a week on Max, viewing for the first episode had ballooned to 3.6M. HBO said that outpaced the series premieres for both The White Lotus (3M in 2021) and Euphoria (3.3M in 2019) in the same time period.” Although the show’s debut did well, the first season of The Idol only released five of its intended six episodes.

A spokesperson for HBO announced, “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.” Despite the 19% rating of The Idol on Rotten Tomatoes, cast member Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Lost City) anticipated a second season, stating the first season was intentionally left open-ended for the likelihood of a second.

Levinson has recently announced some details about the third season of his widely successful show on HBO Euphoria.