Coming as somewhat of a surprise, HBO has decided not to continue its supernatural drama Lovecraft Country for a second season. While the same-day ratings for the show were not great–it averaged a 0.19 score in the demo–the premium cable channels do not pay as much attention to those stats because they are not beholden to advertisers. And this show performed well in delayed and digital viewing. It was originally considered a limited series, having fully covered the novel it was based on, but creator Misha Green had plans for a second season which she pitched to network execs.
I envision a second season that carries on the spirit of Matt Ruff’s novel by continuing to reclaim the genre storytelling space that people of color have typically been left out of.
The show was acclaimed by critics and it received a lot of attention during awards season, so it certainly seems like HBO should have had plenty of motivation to keep it going. No specific reason whas given by the cabler for deciding to pass on the second season. Green did send out a tweet teasing what was to come if the second year following the cancellation announcement.
A taste of the Season 2 Bible. Wish we could have brought you #LovecraftCountry: Supremacy. Thank you to everyone who watched and engaged. ?✊? #noconfederate pic.twitter.com/BONbSfbjWg
— Misha Green (@MishaGreen) July 3, 2021
Lovecraft Country comes from Monkeypaw Productions and J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, but Warner Bros. TV has an ownership stake as well and that may make it difficult for the property to move to a different venue.
This series follows Atticus Brown who sets off on a trip through Jim Crow America with his friend Letita and his Uncle George to find his missing father. Along the way, they encounter monsters in human form and of the supernatural variety. It stars Jurnee Smollett, Jonathan Majors, Aunjanue Ellis, Courtney B. Vance, and Wunmi Mosaku.
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A shame. That was a really great show.