On Thursday, “Work in Progress” showrunner Lilly Wachowski tweeted the “extremely disappointing news” that the series she co-created with star Abby McEnany will not have a third season.
“Right before the Thanksgiving holiday, I got the extremely disappointing news from execs at Showtime that Work in Progress was not going to be picked up for a third season,” Wachowski shared in a Twitter thread. “It was a major bummer.”
She went on to say, “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. At what point does the ‘commitment and championing of diversity’ end?”
Wachowski added, “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.”
“Black Monday,” which stars Don Cheadle, Paul Scheer, Regina Hall and Andrew Rannells and was about the historic 1987 stock market crash, has also been axed after three seasons. Scheer shared the news during a Twitch stream on Jan. 20 “’Black Monday’ was not renewed,” he told “FriendZone” co-host Rob Huebel.
Showtime has confirmed both cancellations to TheWrap.
“We are incredibly proud of the two seasons of ‘Work in Progress’ and were thrilled to spotlight the enormous talents of Abby McEnany, Lilly Wachowski and the entire cast and creative team. We look forward to having our subscribers continue to discover this special series on Showtime’s streaming platforms for years to come.”
The cable network also stated, “We can confirm that ‘Black Monday’ will not be moving forward with a fourth season. Don Cheadle, Regina Hall, Andrew Rannells, Paul Scheer and Casey Wilson led a fantastic cast, and we are grateful to Jordan Cahan, David Caspe and all who worked on the show for three hilarious seasons.”
