The curtain has closed on The Idol over at HBO. The provocative show, born from the collaboration between Sam Levinson, the mastermind behind Euphoria, and Abel Tesfaye, more famously recognized as The Weeknd, has concluded its journey after just one season, with no plans for a sophomore installment.
The outcome isn’t particularly shocking, considering the blend of critical acclaim and commercial response that greeted the series, headlined by both Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp. This decision also follows an extended period of reshooting subsequent to director Amy Seimetz’s departure, as disclosed by Deadline in April 2022. Additionally, a revised episode count, whittling down the total to five, played a part in this trajectory.
All Speculations Surrounding The Idol Season 2 Put To Rest
While a few The Idol cast members did allude to the potential for a second season in their interviews, sources from within the show revealed that the creators did not initially embark on the production with a blueprint for a multi-season narrative.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who portrayed one of the managers of Jocelyn, the pop star portrayed by Depp, had previously mentioned that the conclusion of the first season deliberately maintained an open-ended nature, setting the stage for the potential development of a second season.
“The Idol was one of HBO’s most provocative original programs, and we’re pleased by the strong audience response,” said an HBO spokeswoman. “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.”
HBO unveiled viewership figures exclusively for the initial pair of episodes. The debut episode purportedly garnered an audience of 913,000 on HBO and Max on the same day, followed by a slight dip to 800,000 for the second installment. HBO clarified that the decline in the second week was attributable to linear viewership rather than Max viewership, a logical observation given that the series likely catered to a younger demographic than the traditional linear TV audience.
The Idol Failed To Keep Viewers Hooked
Following a week on Max, the viewership for the inaugural episode had surged to 3.6 million. HBO noted that this outpaced the series premieres of both The White Lotus (3 million in 2021) and Euphoria (3.3 million in 2019) within the same timeframe. Upon the culmination of its first season, Euphoria’s average episodic viewership tallied at 6.6 million. On the other hand, The White Lotus saw its Season 1 episodes escalate to approximately 9.3 million viewers.
Nevertheless, while Euphoria and The White Lotus were met with predominantly favorable reviews from both critics and audiences, the same sentiment cannot be extended to The Idol. As the final episode aired merely a month later, the prevailing sentiment surrounding the show had shifted to one of negativity. This transformation likely exerted a substantial influence on viewership patterns.
Crafted collaboratively by Levinson, Abel Tesfaye, and Reza Fahim, the show made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The series follows a harrowing bout of emotional turmoil that derailed Jocelyn’s (Lily-Rose Depp) previous tour, she sets her sights on reclaiming her rightful position as the most exceptional and alluring pop sensation in the United States.
Source: Deadline
