HBO has canceled animated comedy after three seasons.
Close Enough was created by JG Quintel, the man behind cult comedy Regular Show, who also topped the bill of voice actors, which included Gabrielle Walsh, Jason Mantzoukas, Kimiko Glenn, Jessica DiCicco, James Adomian and Danielle Brooks.
Close Enough followed Josh and Emily – and their young daughter Candice – a couple in their late 30s, who live in a Los Angeles duplex with their divorced friends, Alex and Bridgette. The show chronicled their lives as they dealt with everyday challenges, with things frequently taking surreal and sci-fi style turns.
Originally intended to air on TBS in 2017, after a series of delays, the show debuted on HBO Max in 2020. Three seasons of eight episodes each have been broadcast, with the most recent season coming to a close in early April of 2022.
The show has featured a number of high-profile guest stars during its run, including the likes of Jane Lynch, Henry Winkler, “Weird Al” Yankovic, David Hasselhoff, and Noel Fielding.
In a statement given to Deadline, (opens in new tab) a spokesperson for HBO Max said of the show’s axing: “After three great seasons, Close Enough is coming to an end. We are so proud of the series and grateful to creator JG Quintel and our partners at Cartoon Network Studios, who made this show an instant fan favorite on HBO Max.”
Quintel himself confirmed the cancelation over the weekend, writing: “It’s true, Close Enough is ending after 3 seasons. I feel fortunate to have worked on this project with so many talented people. Thank you to everyone that helped bring it to life, and to everyone who watched!”
It’s true, Close Enough is ending after 3 seasons. I feel fortunate to have worked on this project with so many talented people. Thank you to everyone that helped bring it to life, and to everyone who watched!July 15, 2022
The ending of Close Enough leaves HBO Max with just one adult animated comedy series still making new episodes. That is Ten Year Old Tom, which the streaming giant’s executives have just renewed for a second season.
Analysis: Why did HBO pull the trigger?
Again, much like with quirky comedy Joe Pera Talks With You, which had 100% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes for both critics and audiences but still got canceled, Close Enough had a real cult following.
The show’s first season has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes among critics (opens in new tab), while audience scores hovered around the 80% mark for both the first and second season. You can’t pin this on bad reviews. As with Pera, then, this feels like another example of the cost-cutting going on at HBO’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.
A large chunk of the cost-cutting has been felt at HBO. Both The Time Traveler’s Wife and period drama Gentleman Jack have already been canceled in July, and, Warner Bros. Discovery. went as far as canceling Chad, the acclaimed coming-of-age comedy, just hours before it was due to go on air.
As well as that, HBO had already pulled the plug on Demimonde, J. J. Abrams’ first solo creation for television since his original hit Alias, which was looking at a budget of over $200 million.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is overseeing an epic round of belt-tightening and Close Enough is the latest show to fall victim to that. It won’t be the last.
It’s been a busy year for cancelations, so read about everything canceled by Netflix here.
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