HBO Cancels Popular New Series After Two Seasons

After two quick years on HBO, Winning Time has been sent to the chopping block. Though the series initially gained stellar reviews early on, viewership for the premium programming quickly dwindled. HBO announced the move shortly after the show’s Season 2 finale on Sunday night, confirming thoughts from some of those adjacent to the production.

Based on Jeff Pearlman’s Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s, the show was a dramatized take on one of the NBA’s legacy’s most dominant periods of time. Pearlman expressed his thoughts on a third season earlier this year, saying he doubted a renewal would be handed down.

“I’m telling you — the future of Winning Time hangs in the balance. We need viewers. The strikes are crippling. Please help spread the word. Season 2 is amazing. But … HBO is big on #s,” Perlman tweeted in August. “And, to be blunt, I’m worried there won’t be a season three. And it’s not about me. I’m fine. It’s about a cast of amazing young actors who live this. So, seriously, tell your friends to support Winning Time and show @hbo you want it to continue. Peace.”

Though the series has been divisive amongst the players featured within, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss previously said John C. Reilly should have walked away with an Emmy for the actor’s portrayal of her father.

“That was entertainment that wasn’t based on a lot of truth, but it was entertaining for some people,” Buss previously explained to Variety. “I think John C. Reilly playing Dr. Jerry Buss — he should have been nominated for an Emmy.”

“I’m conflicted because I think John C. Reilly captured a lot of my dad in his performance. And, you know, I miss my dad. So, revisiting some of those fond memories, I have to say, was nice for me. But, you know: the timeline was completely wrong with my grandmother and things like that. I felt like I was watching a TV show, I wasn’t watching my life.”

The first two seasons of Winning Time are now streaming on Max.