The Weeknd’s HBO Show ‘The Idol’ Canceled After Embarrassing First Season

The Idol Season 2 isn’t happening, as HBO has canceled the lackluster drama after just one season. The series starred Lily-Rose Depp as Jocelyn, a pop star who enters a strange relationship with a nightclub owner/cult leader played by The Weeknd. The show got abysmal reviews and drew mockery from viewers, instantly putting its renewal status in question. While HBO had previously shot down rumors about the series’ demise, the network changed its tune on Monday.

“The Idol was one of HBO’s most provocative original programs, and we’re pleased by the strong audience response,” an HBO rep told Variety and several other media outlets. “After much thought and consideration, HBO, as well as the creators and producers have decided not to move forward with a second season. We’re grateful to the creators, cast, and crew for their incredible work.”

The Idol was seen as a creative misfire for the creators, Sam Levinson (of Euphoria fame), Reza Fahim and The Weeknd (whose real name is Abel Tesfaye). The Weeknd‘s poor acting abilities, in particular, drew ire from HBO viewers, as did Levinson’s scripts, which leaned too hard on attempts to shock the audience.

On Rotten Tomatoes, only 19% of critics gave it positive reviews, and audiences seemed to be disappointed, as well, with only 41% of watchers leaving positive reviews. Over on Metacritic, it sits at an awful 27 (out of 100), with users’ average rating being 0.7 (out of 10).

“A show that feels so focused on being provocative and pushing boundaries that it didn’t worry about telling a good story – or even doing anything to actually be subversive,” movie critic Amanda the Jedi said in her review. “Any remote logic goes out the window in the final moments, this is just bad.”

ABC News‘ Peter Travers wrote, “The only thing shocking about The Idol is how shockingly bad it is. … It’s a sad spectacle seeing so many talented actors being force fed dialogue that defines cringe.”

Vox’s Alex Abad-Santos wrote, “Levinson’s and Tesfaye’s storytelling gets in its own way, squandering any kind of emotional impact.”

What ended up on camera was bad quality, but to make matters worse, the show was plagued with issues behind the scenes. Rolling Stone published an exposé on the series ahead of its premiere outlining alleged creative and safety issues that turned the production into an expensive disaster for HBO.