Sad news for fans of HBO’s “Looking” which followed the lives of three gay men in San Francisco as they made their way through the modern world. HBO has elected not to renew the show for what would be a third season.
While HBO doesn’t normally make these decisions based on ratings, it probably played a role in Looking’s cancellation. Only 240,000 viewers watched Looking this season, on average. That’s below almost every series currently running on HBO’s air right now.
“After two years of following Patrick and his tight-knit group of friends as they explored San Francisco in search of love and lasting relationships, HBO will present the final chapter of their journey as a special,” HBO said in a statement. “We look forward to sharing this adventure with the shows loyal fans.”
HBO has planned a special finale of the show but we don’t have an air date for that just yet. It will probably take up to a year for it to make it’s way to air if it follows the same path as Hello Ladies and Life’s Too Short did when they finaled with specials.
Yes it's true, we'll be doing a movie instead of a third season. Thanks for all the love and support! Final chapter yet to come…
— Michael Lannan (@MichaelLannan) March 25, 2015
The show did have some cultural significance as one of a small number of programs dedicated to portraying the gay lifestyle in an open, honest and what some would say is a very truthful way. What did you think of the show? Would you like to see a third season or did you think the show was ready to die? We know the show had a ton of passionate fans so we feel for them, of course. HBO will continue to produce great programming in the future so give some of the new shows coming up a chance. Maybe you’ll find something to fill the void.
36 comments
I absolutely loved this show! So sad to hear it has been cancelled. Thanks a lot HBO!
I loved this show, so sad that it will not continue.
I loved this show! I am a native San Franciscan, born and raised, and that idea hooked me to see how and where the show will take us. Then watching relationships develop and fall. I loved watching the development of each character and learning what each of them yearned for. I just found out right now as I was looking up when all my HBO shows will air…I’m super bummed to see this go.
It saddens me to find out that “Looking” will not have a third season! I herd about it through a friend that lives in San Fansisco. He told me great things that the show portrayed about the realism of gay culture and situations that every gay guy would go through, I had to check it out for myself to see if it was true. After watching the first episode of the second season I absolutely feel in love with the show; with the characters, the passionate love between Patrick and Richie and with ending music that comes in the credits. I hope that they make a concluding season to make everything perfect with the story of Patrick, Augustine, and Dom. I would be the happiest gay guy every if they did!
Too bad. It was such a great show!
I was really loving this series it took me 4 episode to get completely into it. I was expecting alot more of it. was the true world of the gay community. Is kind of sad. I hope to see new stuff for the gay community.
HBO should bring the show back for 2016, it was great TV, different from all the rest.
I loved the sense of humour and I am really sorry about the cancellation.
http://www.vogue.com/13005884/reasons-hbo-should-not-cancel-looking/?mbid=social_twitter
#SaveLookingHBO #SaveLookingHBOMovement @SaveLookingHBO
https://www.facebook.com/groups/932424606791696/
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/555/751/323/hbo-honor-our-stories-renew-looking-for-3rd-season/?taf_id=13585212&cid=fb_na
Looking is a wonderful show. I agree that it’s seasons were too short. 8 weeks and 10 weeks. It did get off to a slow start probably because the episodes themselves were too short. Just around 30 minutes. The Looking Inside explanations were excellent. Trying to compare it to the many seasons of Queer as Folk is wrong. Queer as folk came out during a much different era with much different accesibility. When Queer as folk was on we only had a cable channel line-up on television. Today, we have media devices, smart tv’s, I-Phones, Tablets, Laptops, Hulu, Netflix, etc. Much different way of measuring things. We are not glued to our couches at night like we once were because of it. I think the series went very well considering all of this. “Girls” and “Together” appeal to a different audience. Also, the LGBT community should have been a lot more loyal to it than it was. I think now that they know all about it, they will rethink it. I hope it is reconsidered and will be brought back. I think it could have been better promoted. I hope that the decision was not made by right-wing leadership.
are you retarded? what right wing leadership…its hbo
So sad that they canceled the show… :(
Petition here : http://www.thepetitionsite.com/555/751/323/
#SaveLookingHBO
Looking is a breakthrough show that provided one of the most honest and refreshing portrayals of modern gay culture. Looking features story-lines and characters that depict the real emotional complexity of people living with HIV, and tackles tough issues like transgender homelessness. It truly is like nothing else on TV.
To some fans of the show, it is the truest representation of themselves on TV; for others, it is a rare opportunity to see characters that remind them of their friends, loved ones and fellow community-members.
HBO has a history of taking risks for the sake of artistic expression and producers around the world look to HBO as a trendsetter.
Please sign the petition to tell HBO: reconsider canceling Looking, and renew these powerful stories — our stories — for a third season.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/555/751/323/
This show was great! I really wish that HBO wasn’t canceling it. I didn’t know about the show until my partner told me about it. I watched both seasons in 2 days it was so good.
I’m with you Mack. I knew nothing of the program until 2 weeks before the end of this season. Like you I watched the two seasons in a couple of days – except the last 2 episodes. Three things, episodes too short, lack of publicity and lack of LGBT support are what killed it. Given the opportunity with the first two items corrected, l believe the series would a success. It was an excellent portrayal.
This was life-like and sometimes “slow” but always interesting. I watched with anticipation to see how these three grew. I am not a fan of 8 or 10 episodes: it seems like a mini-series. 42 weeks is a long time to wait for new seasons. I know, you know, and HBO knows it could make a better investment (not just 13 either!) on something it airs. It keeps the cast in the public eye, draws viewers more and more as it goes along. It just doesn’t make sense. If they can spend money on 8 episodes they can make those 24. That’s common sense. Other series thrive on those episode numbers. HBO is killing off its best stuff by limiting them and then ignoring them for most of a year.
I really loved this show. It was enlightening and the characters for the most part extremely likable. I am sad to see it end.
This is really sad. As part of the community, and recently came out, I held this series dear to my heart!
Being a member of the LGBT community I was excited HBO’s Looking. But I’ve found the stories slow & uninteresting. I really wish I felt differently but my friends agreed with me. I’ve continued to watch out of curiosity & hoping it would get better. It just didn’t come close to either Queer As Folk or The L Word.
I am really sorry about the cancellation. I liked a lot of the ideas starting with the title “Looking” and as the characters are still looking for their places in life I was hoping for much more stories to come.
Sad…:(
Love the part where, Patrick and Kevin slow dance to: Say you love me by Jesse Ware, I rewinded that part over a hundred times, so sexy!
I loved the cutest couple ever: Patrick and Kevin, I’m sad that the the show is being discontinued
I loved this show! Great actors and great story lines……I am sad to see it go!
This is a shame. My go-to show on HBO. Remembering the slower start to Madmen! Another high quality resonating slow that grew on its audience.
Too bad. This was clever, current, and a positive view of gay life. Rating rule but enjoyment matters too. Maybe we’ll get another VOICE or Dancing with the Stars in its place. Those get ratings but have no enjoyment for me.
Noooo! This is the only show that really has my attention. Can we crowd-fund an other season? Would that help?
First “Family Tree,” now this…I’m a fan of the show and I’m disappointed that it’s been cancelled, however the writing in this season wasn’t the best (i.e. Dom and Doris’s overblown fight over the inheritance money), which is probably the main reason why the show failed to take off.
I’m going to miss this series very much. As much as it pains me to see it go, I do believe the show had run its course. Looking was highly character driven and we saw an immensity of growth and development in its two-season run. It was a fantastic and genuine television experience. That goes without saying, the season two finale provided incredibly well-written closure for every single character, and a TV special seems like the perfect send-off for the series.
I wasn’t Looking. Man, HBO needs to step they game up. Aside from GOT, is there a show on the channel that is well-known?
Now that Boardwalk Empire is gone, pretty much no. I have high hopes for Westworld though.
Did you knew HBO turned down The Walking Dead?
I didn’t know that, but I can understand that decision given the quality of The Walking Dead, which is abysmal in my opinion.
Well, I don’t know about that. Sunday’ season finale was so good. The show’s always trending on Twitter, too.
I’m sure it’s popular and may appeal to the masses. It is however, in its current state, unworthy to be broadcasted on HBO.
Well, I don’t know about that. Yes I don’t want HBO to air some crappy show, but most of HBO’s line-up have lastest way less than TDW, which just ended it’s 5th season. Getting On (loved that show), Looking, Enlighten, only lasted 3 seasons.