HBO's controversial 'The Idol' canceled after one season

HBO has canceled its ill-received series “The Idol,” starring Lily-Rose Depp as a pop star whose nervous breakdown leads her to a nightclub impresario and cult leader (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye).

“‘The Idol’ was one of HBO’s most provocative original programs, and we’re pleased by the strong audience response,” a spokesperson for the pay-cable network said in a statement to Newsday. “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.”

Initially announced in 2021 as six episodes, the series ran only five this June and July after what HBO last year called “a new creative direction” that adjusted the show's "cast and crew accordingly to best serve this new approach to the series.” Created by Tesfaye, Reza Fahim and Sam Levinson (“Euphoria”), "The Idol" was not a critical hit, earning 19% favorable reviews in the film- and TV-critic aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. More than a dozen crew members in a lengthy Rolling Stone article in March had described a troubled and problematic production.