HBO Cancels ‘Veep’ Follow-Up After Only One Season

HBO has pulled the plug on The Franchise. Deadline reports that the network has chosen not to pick up the satire comedy for a second season. From creator and executive producer Jon Brown and executive producers Sam Mendes and Armando Iannucci, the series depicts a behind-the-scenes look at a film that’s part of a superhero film franchise, following a first assistant director. The Franchise was Iannucci’s latest series with HBO, having created and executive produced Veep and Avenue 5.

“We’re so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the tremendously talented team behind The Franchise, especially Sam Mendes, Jon Brown, Armando Iannucci, and this hilarious ensemble of actors,” an HBO spokesperson said in a statement. “While we won’t be moving forward with another season, we look forward to collaborating with all of them in the future.”

Starring an ensemble cast that includes Himesh Patel, Aya Cash, Billy Magnussen, Lolly Adefope, Darren Goldstein, Isaac Powell, Richard E. Grant, and Daniel Brühl, The Franchise premiered on HBO on Oct. 6. News of the cancellation comes just over a month after the Season 1 finale, which aired on Nov. 24. Despite receiving generally positive reviews with a 74% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 63% audience score, it just wasn’t enough to convince HBO that another season was needed. The series didn’t even make it into Nielsen’s Top 10 streaming rankings, so it’s not much of a surprise.

It’s unknown if the show will be shopped around elsewhere, but that might also depend on whether fans want more. At the very least, it sounds like HBO doesn’t plan on stepping away from Mendes, Brown, or Iannucci anytime soon, so perhaps the three of them will come together for another series in the near future. It will be hard to match the success of Iannucci’s Veep, but that doesn’t mean another series can’t come close.

Even though The Franchise was canceled, HBO has been renewing some shows in recent months. Dune: Prophecy and Industry were previously renewed, and cancellation rumors surrounding Euphoria were shut down despite the long wait for the highly-anticipated third season. There will still be a lot to look forward to on HBO, and fans can always watch all eight episodes of The Franchise on Max, which is better than nothing.