‘The Idol,’ controversial salacious HBO show, canceled after one season

nypost.com:

“The Idol,” a series from Sam Levinson, creator of the hit show “Euphoria,” after just one season, The Post can confirm. “The Idol was one of HBO’s most provocative original programs, and we’re pleased by the strong audience response,” a spokesperson for HBO told The Post.“After much thought and consideration, HBO, as well as the creators and producers have decided not to move forward with a second season,” the statement continued. “We’re grateful to the creators, cast, and crew for their incredible work.”The show, which triggered backlash for some of its graphic sex scenes, followed Jocelyn, played by Lily-Rose Depp, and her relationship with self-help guru and cult leader Tedros, portrayed by singer The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye).Originally, the series was slated to feature six episodes, but only ended up featuring five, concluding on July 2.

It only had a rating of 19% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, insiders at the show told The Post that “The Idol” creators and executive producers did not come into the production process with a specific plan for a multi-season arc.Conversations around a second season were fluid, and the show stillranked among Max’s top series over the summer.But before the show could even hit HBO, it made headlines in April 2022 as the show’s original director, Amy Seimetz, stepped down from her role, Deadline reported.

HBO said that they were taking the show in a “new creative direction” at the time, but as a result, sources claimed that they had to re-film and rescript the program.

The series also featured a lot of raunchy sex scenes, which drew controversy from some viewers. Multiple sources, according to a story published in March by the Rolling Stone, claimed that the series turned into unseemly.