‘Room 104’ Canceled at HBO, Will End After Season 4

HBO has canceled the anthology series Room 104. The show, which premiered back in 2017, will see the release of its fourth — and last — season in July, according to Deadline. HBO produced the fourth season in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic.

Room 104 was created by brothers Mark and Jay Duplass, with each episode set entirely within one hotel room. The room itself was the only consistent element of the series, which featured a new cast and story with every installment. It also gave a platform for writers, directors and actors to shine in its uniquely claustrophobic setting. The upcoming Season 4 premiere will feature Mark Duplass as a writer, director, star and music composer.

Along with a new story, each installment of Room 104 was its own genre, ranging from horror to comedy and everything in-between. It also aired late Friday nights on HBO, which was part of the show’s fragmented appeal. “Room 104 really is the Tinder of the TV world,” Duplass told Uproxx ahead of the Season 1 premiere. “You can just casually try [it] and see what happens.”

Season 4 of Room 104 will also feature an impressive ensemble cast, including Dave Bautista, Melissa Fumero, Gary Cole and Grey’s Anatomy star Kevin McKidd. In addition to Duplass, the directors will include Natalie Morales, Stranger Things star Ross Partridge and veteran Room 104 producer Sydney Fleischmann.

The news comes as HBO is still on track to launch its latest streaming platform, HBO Max, on May 27. WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct-to-Consumer chief strategy officer Sean Kisker spoke to Variety about how the coronavirus pandemic made an already-complicated task that much harder.

“It’s hard enough to launch a streaming service, never mind in the middle of a pandemic,” he explained. “So starting two years ago, when this thing kicked off, there’s been a pretty constant stream of effort, and the team has run basically at one speed. We really haven’t missed a beat from a remote-working POV.”

Kisker also insisted launch was still “very much on schedule,” despite the situation. “I think if we could’ve gone a little bit early we would’ve, but we’re absolutely on schedule for the May launch. Based on what I’m seeing and reading, the opportunity for people to be at home will be there for a little while.”