It's Official: The Idol Season 2 Isn't Happening After All
Idol is History.
Love it or hate it, The Idol was the talk of the town this summer, albeit for all the wrong reasons. The five-episode series aired on Max from 4 June to 2 July, attracting a barrage of negative reviews, sparking heated discussions among viewers and getting slammed by numerous media outlets throughout its short run.
There was controversy behind the scenes: the original director, Amy Seimetz, left, and the show ended up being rewritten and reshot by the new director, Sam Levinson, and star Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd). And the show's subject matter, the dark side of the music industry and sexual exploitation, courted controversy as well.
After countless discussions and debates, the question is whether it's over and done with or we're in for another round of hate-watching and futile attempts to find meaning where there is none. Two months after the season one finale, HBO is ready to answer that question.
'The Idol was one of HBO's most provocative original programs, and we're pleased by the strong audience response,' an HBO spokesperson was quoted as saying by Variety. '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.'
Ratings Seal the Deal
Audiences hated The Idol, so why did HBO hesitate to pull the plug on it? They were probably analysing numbers. We all know ratings are the end all and be all of the entertainment industry today. Even the most despised projects will keep getting renewed for as long as enough people keep watching them.
The Idol was certainly one of those shows. People hated it but kept watching it. HBO has only ratings for the first two episodes. However, they told quite a story: less than a million people watched the premier, but after a week on Max, the first episode's viewership increased to 3.6 million.
That's more than the White Lotus and Euphoria premieres achieved in the same timeframe. However, those two shows kept growing in popularity over time, attracting new subscribers, with their ratings eventually increasing 2 to 3 fold.
By contrast, The Idol's viewership went off a cliff. While some people continued hate-watching it, most just lost interest. And this sharp decline in ratings was probably what ultimately sealed The Idol's fate.
Source: Variety.