Neil Patrick Harris Faces Tough Career Setback

Fans hoping to see more of Michael Lawson are out of luck. Showtime has opted not to move forward with a second season of the Neil Patrick Harris-starring comedy Uncoupled, according to a Deadline report a little more than a year after the premium television network saved the series from its cancellation at Netflix.

Originally premiering on Netflix in July 2022, Uncoupled followed Harris' Michael Lawson, a gay man in his mid-40s navigating the single life in New York City after he was dumped by his partner of 17 years. The show, which received mostly positive reviews, also starred Tisha Campbell, Brooks Ashmanskas, Emerson Brooks, and Marcia Gay Harden.

Although Uncoupled was a success, it was announced in January 2023 that Netflix canceled the show after just a single season. Amid fan outcry and calls for a reversal of the decision, the show was saved by Showtime the following month, the network announcing plans for Uncoupled Season 2. At Showtime, Uncoupled was set to fit into "Metro Cultures," one of three main content lanes outlined by Chris McCarthy, President & CEO, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Network. The subgenre depicts "culturally diverse takes," including The L Word and The Chi.

Season 2 of Uncoupled was originally set to begin filming in early July 2023, but was ultimately delayed due to the WGA strike. Sources told Deadline that prior to the cancellation, the second season was preparing to start filming in May, with 10 scripts largely written.

At this time, a reason for the show's cancellation is not clear, though sources said the decision was made after months of work by Showtime's creative team to put the show into redevelopment to tailor it to the network's sensibilities. Series co-writer and co-creator Darren Star, meanwhile, is also currently busy filming Season 4 of MTV Entertainment Studios' popular Netflix comedy Emily In Paris.

Harris has not commented on Uncoupled's second cancellation as of this posting. The first season of the show is available to stream on Netflix. Along with Star, Uncoupled was created and written by Modern Family's Jeffrey Richman. Both Star and Richman were also attached as executive producers.