Showtime has canceled its comedies Black Monday and Work in Progress.
Work in Progress showrunner Lilly Wachowski noted that show’s end Thursday on Twitter, writing that “Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I got the extremely disappointing news from the execs at Showtime that Work in Progress was not going to be picked up for a third season. It was a major bummer.”
Wachowski also noted that contracts for the cast were up after season two, which would have meant negotiating new and higher deals for the actors. “So the network was probably running the numbers,” she wrote, “and even though a show like ours, super contained, entirely shot on location in Chicago with mostly local talent, the bottom line did not work for them compared to our viewership, which could be optimistically defined as discerning/niche. We were told it went down from season 1 to season 2. (OK, very discerning!)”
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As for Black Monday, castmember Paul Scheer said on his Thursdays With Rob & Paul Twitch show that the series wouldn’t return for a fourth season. Showtime has confirmed both cancellations, which follow on the heels of American Rust‘s end earlier in the week.
“We can confirm that Black Monday will not be moving forward with a fourth season,” Showtime said in a statement. “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.”
Of Work in Progress, the ViacomCBS outlet said, “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 end for Black Monday and Work in Progress leaves Showtime with a fairly small roster of half-hour scripted series: Back to Life, Flatbush Misdemeanors and the forthcoming The Curse, starring Emma Stone, and I Love That for You, from Saturday Night Live alum Vanessa Bayer. (The premium cabler’s drama output is more robust, with shows like Yellowjackets, Billions, The Chi and the upcoming anthology Super Pumped, among others.)
The Wall Street-set Black Monday is a co-production of Showtime and Sony Pictures TV. Creators and showrunners Caspe and Cahan executive produce with Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Cheadle.
Work in Progress follows a self-identified fat, queer dyke (McEnany) who was just starting to get her head above water, until the pandemic and a family emergency pushed her into uncharted territory. Celeste Pechous, Armand Fields, Karin Anglin, Bruce Jarchow, Theo Germaine and Julia Sweeney also star. McEnany and Wachowski executive produce with Lawrence Mattis and Josh Adler of Circle of Confusion, Tony Hernandez of Jax Media and Sweeney. McEnany and Tim Mason created the series.
