The Idol's Behind the Scenes Drama Is More Interesting Than the Show Itself

The Idol is a uniquely controversial project. Despite its reputation as a terrible show, it has consistently made headlines for months, primarily because of the scandals surrounding its production and airing.

Indeed, the drama behind the scenes of The Idol is so intriguing that it could be made into a show of its own, which, arguably, could offer a more compelling story than The Idol itself while featuring the same antagonist. Here's how the saga unfolded.

April 2022: The Change in Creative Direction

Almost a year after HBO commissioned a six-episode show satirising the music industry and enlisted Amy Seimetz of The Girlfriend Experience to direct, Deadline reported significant changes to the show's cast, crew, and creative direction.

April 2022: The Showrunner's Exit

Soon after Deadline's report, Seimetz left the project after reportedly completing about 80% of it. The reasons for her departure remained undisclosed, but the same outlet published another report citing insider sources suggesting that Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye, who co-produced and starred in the show, didn't like the 'female perspective' that Seimetz brought in.

Sam Levinson of Euphoria was brought in as a replacement for Seimetz, and together with The Weeknd and Reza Fahim, he rewrote and re-filmed the entire show. That caused substantial delays in the production and release schedule.

March 2023: The Toxic Environment on the Set

An explosive exposé by Rolling Stone sent shockwaves across social media. The publication interviewed 13 sources involved in the show's production who criticised the show's direction following Levinson's appointment, describing the new version as a 'sh**show,' 'rape fantasy,' and 'torture porn.' They also described the director and the on-set environment as toxic, exhausting, and 'chaotic.'

June 2023: The Audience Backlash

Following harsh criticism from professional film critics at the Cannes Film Festival, intrigued HBO viewers tuned in only to be shocked to discover that the show, essentially written and filmed twice, was even worse than they had anticipated.

Social media and review websites got inundated with scathing reviews and furious comments, calling out the show's excessive sexualisation, gratuitous shock value, weak writing, poor dialogue, and dull storytelling.

June 2023: The Weeknd's Response

While Sam Levinson and his colleagues defended The Idol in various interviews, The Weeknd took it a step further. He initiated a full-scale 'Protect The Idol' online campaign on his social media pages, and especially Twitter, responding not just to the media but also to casual viewers who were vocal in their criticism of The Idol.

June 2023: The Cancellation Rumours

About halfway through the show, viewers discovered that instead of the initially announced six episodes, The Idol would only air five. This sparked rumours that HBO had cut the show short because of the viewer backlash. However, the network denied these rumours in a tweet that also hinted at the possibility of a second season.

That could only mean one thing: The Idol drama isn't over yet.

Sources: Deadline, Deadline, Rolling Stone, Reddit, Twitter, Reddit.