Reboot, the comedy series launched on Hulu last year, has been canceled by the streaming platform after one season. The show will not be returning for another season, despite getting good reviews from critics on its launch.
The meta-comedy took a jibe at the television industry, frequently rebooting hit shows of the past. It followed the dysfunctional cast of a fictitious 2000s sitcom titled Step Right Up, who are called back to reprise their roles in the show’s reboot.
Reboot Canceled at Hulu After One Season
Actor Johnny Knoxville, who starred as Clay Barber in the show, confirmed the news with a post on social media. “It’s with a heavy heart that I say that despite getting great reviews and being nominated for a critics choice award @hulu has failed to pick up Reboot even for a second season. Pretty unbelievable,” he announced.
“Working on this show has been one of the great highlights of my life, and I wanted to thank @stevelevitan and the entire stellar cast for allowing me to be part of this show. It’s not over yet though, as we tend to shop it around and hopefully it will find a home with a studio who believes in and knows how to properly support a new show as it continues to grow,” he added.
The Series was Created by Modern Family Creator Steve Levitan
Reboot marked the first project of Steve Levitan after the much-loved Modern Family, which concluded in 2020 after 10 seasons. It was also the first show he created exclusively for a streaming service. The series pilot was filmed in late 2021, following which an eight-episode first season was ordered in January 2022.
Levitan previously talked about how Reboot was like a ‘therapy’ to him as it allowed him ‘to say some of the things [he’d] been thinking in his career.’ He had said, “It occurs to you that it’d be a much smarter move to just say, I’m going to ride Modern Family out with the sunset and go off to wine country.”
The creator had added, “But I wanted to keep working. I enjoy this and like to write and create. I do feel the pressure of that. I tried to harness it in a good way to motivate me to not settle.” Reboot was launched as a part of Hulu’s scripted comedy roster, which also included Life & Beth, Only Murders in the Building, and How I Met Your Father.
Reboot was Planned as a Multi-Season Show
The cancelation has come as a shock to many, as the series was always planned as a multi-season show. The first season finale also ended with a cliffhanger, the questions of which will now remain unanswered. The first season got 88% approval ratings from critics, but only 68% audience rating.
The official synopsis of the series read, “An early 2000s family sitcom is rebooted, and the dysfunctional cast must deal with their unresolved issues in today’s fast-changing world.” Apart from Knoxville, Reboot starred Keegan-Michael Key, Rachel Bloom, Calum Worthy, Krista Marie Yu, Judy Greer, Paul Reiser, Eliza Coupe, Alyah Chanelle Scott, and Ryan Dietz.
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