Apple TV+ Cancels Oscar-Winner’s Series After One Season

As more shows get canceled, Apple TV+ is making the next move by axing Oscar-winner Patricia Arquette’s comedy High Desert. Deadline reports that the series has been canceled after one season, as Arquette confirmed on the news on her Instagram by saying that they ‘just found that it won’t be coming back. That’s a sad bummer for all of us.” The series only had its first season finale on June 21 after premiering on May 17. Despite an approval rating of 70 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and a 79 percent audience score, with reviews mostly leaning toward positive, it wasn’t enough.

Also starring Brad Garrett, Weruche Opia, Bernadette Peters, and Rupert Friend, with Matt Dillon and Christine Taylor recurring, and created by Nancy Fichman, Katie Ford, and Jennifer Hoppe-House, High Desert follows Arquette’s Peggy, an addict who decides to have a fresh start after her mother dies. The two of them lived in the small desert town of Yucca Valley, California and Peggy decides to become a private investigator. High Desert is the latest Apple TV+ series to be canceled. Just last month, the streamer scrapped sci-fi project  from writer and producer Sam Esmail, just weeks before production was set to begin. While writing was complete and pre-production was almost finished, the crew were abruptly notified that the show would not be moving forward, with budget cuts and the ongoing writers’ strike to blame.

Many shows are facing cancellation these days, no matter how sure another season might be. Networks have had to make budget cuts even to make sure some of their shows continue, with others simply cutting shows in an effort to rework their brand. The writers’ strike now doesn’t help, as it’s going on two months with no end in sight. It’s unknown what the reasoning was for Desert High‘s cancellation or if it will be shopped elsewhere. Any show getting canceled is upsetting, but especially when it’s after only one season because the show didn’t get to have much of a chance to really spread its wings.

While High Desert may be no more, at least fans can still stream it on Apple TV+ and hope that this won’t be the end of it. If anything, Patricia Arquette can also be seen on the acclaimed series Severance, which is also an Apple TV+ original. The show was renewed for a second season back in April and should hopefully premiere soon.