Apple TV+ Cancels Drama Series After 3 Seasons

A popular Apple TV+ show has been canceled. Octavia Spencer, the star and executive producer of Truth Be Told, announced on Monday that her anthology series is not returning for a fourth season on the streaming service. Apple also confirmed the news on Monday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

“Hey y’all. I wanted to share the news that after three seasons of seeking truth and justice, Poppy Scoville is going on a much-needed vacation,” Spencer wrote on Instagram. The third season of Truth Be Told finished in March and also starred Gabrielle Union. Nichelle Tramble Spellman was the showrunner, and the series also included stars such as Kate Hudson, Aaron Paul, Mekhi Phifer, Ron Cephas Jones, Merle Dandridge and Tracie Thoms. Hello Sunshine, a production company founded by Reese Witherspoon, helped produce Truth Be Told.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to collaborate with Octavia and Hello Sunshine on three thrilling seasons of Truth Be Told, a series that quickly made its way into the hearts of audiences across the globe,” Apple TV’s head of programming Matt Cherniss said in a statement. “This show has given us the opportunity to not only witness Octavia’s mesmerizing and nuanced portrayal of crime-solving podcaster Poppy Scoville, but to explore so many powerful and timely themes set against the backdrop of a captivating family drama. We can’t wait to find our next project together.”  

In Truth Be Told, Spencer played Poppy, an investigative journalist who hosts a true crime podcast. Each season, Poppy solves a different crime, with Season 3 focusing on the disappearances of seven young Black girls in Oakland whose cases lack media attention. 

Earlier this year, PopCulture.com spoke to Phifer about his thoughts on the third season. “I think that it definitely has a stronger emotional aspect to it just because of the subject matter and the people involved,” he said. “These are families, not just one particular family, but it’s family. It’s like no one can really just duck their head in the sand. It truly affects, even in the most solid household where you have a mother, father that are educated, very successful, it still can happen in that household.” Truth Be Told premiered in 2019 and aired 28 episodes during its run.