Showtime Cancels Kirsten Dunst’s ‘On Becoming a God in Central Florida’ After One Season

Kirsten Dunst’s critically acclaimed Showtime series On Becoming a God in Central Florida became the latest show canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Showtime renewed the show for a second season while its first was still airing last year, but that decision was reversed on Wednesday. The decision came a few days after Netflix reversed its decision to make a fourth season of GLOW and a month after ABC canceled Stumptown before production on its second season could start.

On Becoming a God in Central Florida ran 10 episodes, which aired between August and October 2019. In September 2019, the show was renewed for a second season. On Wednesday, the network confirmed new episodes will not be produced, as production never even got off the ground over the summer. “The pandemic has continued to challenge schedules across the board, and although we have made every effort to reunite the cast and crew for a second season, that has become untenable. It is with great regret that we are acknowledging On Becoming a God will not return,” the network said in a statement to Deadline.

The dark comedy series was created by Robert Funke and Matt Lutsky. Dunst starred as Krystal Stubbs, a water park employee in early 1990s Orlando who tries to help her family after they are ruined by a pyramid scheme. The cast also included Theodore Pellerin, Mel Rodriguez, Beth Ditto, Ted Levine, Alexander Skarsgard, and Mary Steenburgen. George Clooney was among the show’s executive producers.

Although the series earned critical acclaim, viewership was consistently low during its original run. It also failed to earn awards attention from the Emmys. Dunst was nominated for the Best Actress in a TV Musical or Comedy Series award at the Golden Globes and Best Actress in a Comedy tat the Critics’ Choice Television Awards. The show’s creators also earned a Writers Guild of America Awards nomination for Episodic Comedy.

On Becoming a God in Central Florida is not alone in being canceled after it was already renewed. On Monday, Netflix shockingly announced the fourth and final season of GLOW will not be produced due to the pandemic. In September, ABC canceled Cobie Smulders’ Stumptown, even though it was renewed and ABC planned to air it on Wednesdays during the 2020-2021 TV season. Netflix also canceled The Society and I Am Not Okay With This because of pandemic production delays.