HBO Pulls the Plug on The Franchise

The Franchise, HBO’s satire of the superhero genre, was canceled after a single season, according to Deadline.

Created by Jon Brown and executive produced by Sam Mendes and Armando Iannucci, the half-hour comedy ended back in November. A statement from the network thanked the trio, plus the show’s “hilarious ensemble of actors. We’re so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the tremendously talented team behind The Franchise. […] While we won’t be moving forward with another season, we look forward to collaborating with all of them in the future.”

Like its title implies, The Franchise focused on a film crew working on a film connected to a massive superhero franchise. Himesh Patel had the lead role as assistant director and closet nerd Daniel Kumar, and fittingly, some of the show’s cast had previously played superheroes. Aya Cash, who played Daniel’s ex Anita, is The Boys’ Stormfront, and Richard E. Grant and Daniel Brühl were in Marvel fare. While it seemed to have made a decent impression with critics and audiences, Deadline noted the show failed to ever get in the Top 10 Nielsen rankings during its eight-episode run.

News of The Franchise‘s end comes not long after HBO renewed Dune: Prophecy for another season before the holidays. That show started up just as Franchise was winding down, and for the moment, both of them are available to watch over on Max.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.