HBO Max Cancels Classic Sitcom Reboot After Just 1 Season

By Andrew Roberts

It seems like just yesterday that HBO Max premiered a reboot of the classic sitcom Head of the Class. A month ago, the full first season premiered on the streaming platform, and now the series has ceased to be.

From showrunners Amy Pocha and Seth Cohen, with executive Bill Lawrence on board for some talented influence, Head of the Class was a reboot of the 1986 sitcom of the same name starring Howard Hesseman of WKRP in Cincinnati fame. The reboot brought back one original member of the original series, with Robin Givens reprising her role as Darlene Hayward, but still maintained a similar plot to the original.

"We will not be moving forward with a second season of Head of the Class," HBO Max said in a statement, per Deadline. "We were grateful to work with Bill, Amy, and Seth to bring back such an iconic series, and we thank them and the terrific cast for their hard work and dedication."

The show follows a group of high school students who are considered gifted or "overachieving" that are more focused on grades than the experience of learning. That's where Isabella Gomez's teacher Alicia Gomez steps in, challenging the kids to live more and worry about their grades less.

According to Deadline, the series is only the second canceled by HBO Max after Generation was canned earlier in the year. Head of the Class was the platform's only original multi-camera sitcom, though and was one of the few series targeted to teens on HBO Max.

The reboot premiered with mediocre reviews, with 67% finding it favorable on Rotten Tomatoes. The cancellation also raises questions about the benefits of releasing a show weekly versus dropping an entire season all on the same day.

It has not been kind territory on streaming platforms for revived sitcoms and series from older days. 2021 has seen Disney+ cancel their reboot of Turner and Hooch starring Josh Peck, while Peacock's experiment with Punky Brewster fell to the wayside quickly. Still, having a series canceled after just a month might be some record on streaming at this point.

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