It’s time to say goodbye to .
On Monday, HBO announced the controversial series — starring Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp — will not return for a second season.
“ The Idol was one of HBO’s most provocative original programs, and we’re pleased by the strong audience response,” an HBO spokesperson tells in a statement. “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 show’s creators and producers did not have a set storyline for a multi-season arc, but had options to continue the story after the show’s first season.
The decision to end comes less than two months after the show’s season 1 finale aired. Shortly after the final episode, The Weeknd shared his gratitude for the series on Instagram.
“The finale. grateful to share this moment with you all as the season comes to an end,” the Grammy winner captioned his post. “Continue to push the vision no matter how bumpy the journey.”
“Jocelyn Forever 🎭” he concluded, referencing his costar Depp ‘s character and the finale episode’s title.
The series, co-created by director Sam Levinson, has made headlines for its overtly explicit sex scenes and nudity. Addressing the matter during a Cannes Flim Festival press conference for the series, Depp defended the show by saying: “I think that something about Jocelyn is just that she’s a born and bred performer. I think that extends to every aspect of her life, not just her professional life.”
“I think that the way that she dresses, for example, is her trying to tell you something all the time or say something to the people that she’s around or express herself in some kind of way,” she added. “And I also think that the occasional bareness of the character physically mirrors the bareness that we get to see emotionally in her.”
Levinson also defended the series, saying, “It’s funny, I think that sometimes things that might be revolutionary are taken too far. I think we live in a very sexualized world.”
In addition to the show’s excessive nudity and sex scenes being questioned, The Idol — which was also the subject of a Rolling Stone exposé — has been criticized for its storylines, with The Guardian calling it “one of the worst programs ever made.” The Weeknd’s own performance, in particular, has also been criticized.
Despite the controversy and abbreviated season, star Da’Vine Joy Randolph told in June: “Everyone’s intention is to have a second season.”
“This was never intended to be a limited series. HBO has been very happy with it — so much so that there were rumors that we were canceled, and then HBO went on Twitter, which I think they rarely do,” she added. “Nothing is official, but HBO is quite happy.”
Season 1 of The Idol can be streamed in full on Max.
