After only one season, The Idol has officially been cancelled. The controversial HBO series debuted after steady stream of popular shows, such as House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, Barry, and Succession, but the raunchy Sam Levinson drama—which starred Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd—is the outlier among a group of instant successes.
“'The Idol was one of HBO’s most provocative original programs, and we’re pleased by the strong audience response," wrote a spokeswoman from HBO. "After much 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.”
Unfortunately, this doesn’t come as a surprise. Despite its star-studded cast and endless promotion, The Idol fell flat. Ratings for the show were abysmal. The first episode only pulled in 913,000 viewers, and ratings for the second episode fell 12% (which equates to roughly 100,000 viewers). According to The Hollywood Reporter, Episode Two was overshadowed by the Tony Awards, which garnered 4.31 million viewers.
For a network that had audiences leaving the 2023 Academy Awards broadcast to catch The Last of Us finale, it's not a good look. As The Idol continued, viewers have also mocked The Weeknd's acting and derided its outrageously sexual material. What can we say? It makes sense that Season Two was scrapped.
The only question that remains is if The Idol was expected to continue in the first place. Earlier this year, a rumor spread that the series would not be renewed and HBO issued a statement on their official PR Twitter account to debunk the claims. "It is being misreported that a decision on a second season of The Idol has been determined," the network wrote. "It has not, and we look forward to sharing the next episode with you Sunday night.”
Perhaps the decision-makers behind the scenes were just as confused as we were. The Page Six story that predicted The Idol's cancelation quoted two anonymous sources close to production who each claimed that there would not be a second season. But it's a little more nuanced than that. According to one source, the show was "never meant to be a long-running show, it was always… a limited series." Meanwhile, the other source said, "The door is definitely still open" regarding more episodes. "It’s a Sam Levinson show, and you know what you’re getting with a Sam Levinson show," the source continued.
Throughout its tumultuous run, The Idol was not marketed as a limited series, but it may be the perfect way out for HBO. If pressed for details, they can just say, "The Idol wasn't cancelled—it was always meant to be a limited series!" Easy. Necks saved. Until then, this very strange show can be found on MAX. Tune in if you dare.
FAQs
And that brings me back to the question of what “The Idol” wanted to accomplish. Speaking with The New York Times before the series debuted on HBO, Tesfaye said his pitch was “about celebrity culture and how much power they have.” But we never really see Jocelyn wield her celebrity power.
Is The Idol accurate? ›
Is The Idol based on a true story? No, The Idol isn't based on a specific true story. However, much of the cult-like concepts behind the music industry served as an inspiration for Tesfaye — a Grammy award-winning artist — and Levinson.
What are critics saying about The Idol? ›
Even with its obvious allusions to self-destructive Britney Spears, the tawdry plot is too plain, the narrative disjointed, and the dialogue dreadful. Fresh score. The Idol doesn't work. It's lurid and sleazy.
Is The Idol 18+? ›
Parents need to know that The Idol is a series about a pop star who becomes involved with a duplicitous man who sets himself up as her guru. Mature content is frequent, including sex, drinking, drugs, and language. Sexuality includes scenes of a woman masturbating (we see her hands moving suggestively as she…
Why is The Idol so controversial? ›
Sources told the outlet that the crux of the issue appeared to stem from The Weeknd, who "felt the show was leaning too much into a 'female perspective'" with costar Depp's character "rather than his own." In addition to Seimetz's exit, other high-profile crew members followed suit.
Why was The Idol a flop? ›
Unfortunately, the show was too much of everything: too cocaine-fueled, too much yelling and loud emotions and rock 'n' roll cliches, too self-serious. HBO initially renewed it for a Season 2, but pulled the plug after low ratings (the premiere drew in just 764,000 viewers) and mixed reviews.
Why did The Idol get cancelled? ›
The Sam Levinson-created series received terrible reviews
It probably isn't surprising that "The Idol" has been canceled, judging by the countless reviews that tore into the "Euphoria" creator's latest offering. The HBO show holds a 19% critics' score, and a 41% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Is The Idol based on Madonna? ›
While not a direct reference to Madonna, the line recalls her groundbreaking and often controversial career, including the “Like a Prayer” music video, which saw major backlash from religious groups.
Does anybody like The Idol? ›
The Idol has a 41%. Everyone hated this show. It feels like Sam Levinson from Euphoria was given free reign to do whatever he wanted with The Weeknd, and unlike Euphoria, the result was catastrophic.
What is The Idol summary? ›
Synopsis. Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) is a pop idol who resolves to reclaim her title as the sexiest pop star in the United States after her last tour was canceled following a nervous breakdown. She begins a complex relationship with Tedros (Abel Tesfaye), a self-help guru and the head of a contemporary cult.
The show just misses the mark, relying on nothing but nudity and shock value. The dialogue is vapid, the story is misguided. Points for lighting and camera work but that's about it. There are better shows to watch out there.
How much did The Idol cost to make? ›
According to Rolling Stone sources, The Idol was slated to cost roughly $54 million, but wound up reaching close to $75 million during its initial run of production.
Does Lily Rose Depp sing in The Idol? ›
Is Lily-Rose Depp Singing in "The Idol"? Yes, Depp is providing Jocelyn's singing voice - and she was really nervous about it. For her audition, Depp had to sing a cappella. She sang a minute of the song "Fever." "I thought, Here's where I don't get called back,...
Is there violence in The Idol? ›
Implications of sexually violent behaviour, a woman is very submissive to a cult leader and chokes herself whilst masturbating. Sexually violent acts depicted as a form of control. Woman slaps a man.
Was The Idol based on Selena Gomez? ›
In the report Monday, Gomez's team asserted to Daily Mail that aspects of her life such as her psychiatric visit were brought back to life through Jocelyn's character, who was a child actor converted to a pop star just as Gomez was. Additionally, Jocelyn's character had similar tendencies to Gomez.
What was the plot twist in The Idol? ›
Jocelyn then turns to him, maintaining eye contact, and smiles knowingly. In this moment, Tedros realises everything Jocelyn told him about her abuse was a lie, a trick to make him think he was in control while all the while she was pulling his invisible strings.
What is the significance of The Idol? ›
God idols hold a profound significance in religious and spiritual practices across various cultures and traditions. These sacred representations of divine beings serve as focal points for worship, meditation, and devotion, symbolizing the presence of the divine in the material world.
What was the original plot of The Idol? ›
The Idol is an American drama television series created by Sam Levinson, Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye, and Reza Fahim. The series focuses on female pop idol Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) and her complex relationship with Tedros (Tesfaye), a sleazy nightclub owner, self-help guru, and cult leader.
Why was the hairbrush new in The Idol? ›
The revelation that Jocelyn's hairbrush is brand new implies that Jocelyn was lying to Tedros and his entire "family" about her mother's abuse, presumably in order to garner their sympathy, along with that of her fans through her emotional social media video post.
