Lilly Wachowski Confirms Showtime Cancelled Work in Progress After Two Seasons

Co-creator of The Matrix franchise Lilly Wachowski has taken to social media to announce that her Showtime original comedy series Work in Progress, co-created with and starring Abby McEnany as a “45-year-old self-identified fat, queer dyke,” has been cancelled by the premium cable network. Wachowski revealed that she learned the series wouldn’t be returning in November after the show had wrapped up its second season. She went on to detail how hard it had been to continue the show amid the pandemic, citing “the ability to convey and receive joy and love was acutely missing.” The post-production process got easier as the vaccine rollout began, but she reveals she still had a feeling they wouldn’t return for season three.

“Though I still held fast to hope, I had a sinking feeling that we might not be renewed,” Wachowski wrote in a series of tweets about the cancellation, noting that the contracts for the show would have had to be renegotiated for a third season. “Since our disheartening news though, Work in Progress has made 7 top 10 lists and has been nominated for best comedy in the GLAAD awards. But unfortunately, that isn’t enough to overcome the bottom line. Which is frustrating. Because shows like ours get trotted out to illustrate how networks and studios are soooo committed to diversity but then get cut before they can establish a viewership. It is a bit of a vicious cycle.”

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She added, “At what point does the ‘commitment and championing of diversity’ end? If the answer to that question is at the bottom line of a profits and loss spreadsheet, then maybe you’re not really invested in diversity at all.An investment in diversity isn’t meaningful if ultimately studios and networks justify cancellations based on the bottom line. Those are just, you know, regular investments.”

While expressing gratitude to Showtime for giving a “super queer and beautiful show” the opportunity to exist, Wachowski added that she isn’t “content or happy” to let it end there.

“Something has to change,” she wrote. “This industry should be pushed to create more meaningful support systems for the art that they help create. Shows like Gentefied and Vida and South Side (why the hell hasn’t this show been picked up yet!? Its fantastic!) and Shrill and Work in Progress need more meaningful commitments than just an intersection between art and commerce or a deal with the devil.”

To conclude her thread, Wachowski added, “And If any executive is seeing this our show is available!!!”