The Chicago Made critically acclaimed comedy series, South Side, has been canceled by HBO Max after three seasons.
Filmed on location in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, the show offered an authentic look into what life on the South Side is all about.
Created by Bashir Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle and Sultan Salahuddin, the series debuted on Comedy Central before moving to HBO Max in November 2021 for season 2. MTV Entertainment Studios produced the series.
South Side follows two friends who just graduated from community college and are ready to take over the world. Until they do, they’re stuck working at Rent-T-Own.
“While HBO Max will not be moving forward with a fourth season of South Side, we are so proud of the rich world Bashir Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle and Sultan Salahuddin created,” an HBO Max spokesperson said. “We thank them and Michael Blieden, Tony Hernandez, the supremely talented cast and crew and our partners at MTV Entertainment Studios. For three seasons, this beloved series balanced cutting, hyperlocal social commentary about life on the South Side of Chicago with silly, sometimes zany humor. The result was a wholly unique, ambitious, and fearless comedy that could speak to everyone living the American dream.”
Season 1 of South Side premiered on Comedy Central in July of 2019 and was later renewed for a second season, which ended up moving to HBO Max. Season 2 premiered in November 2021, while Season 3 aired in December 2022.
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Why South Side?
When South Side premiered on Comedy Central, the series received positive critical reception. The first season of the show has a score of 79/100 on review aggregator Metacritic, indicating “generally favorable reviews.”
Writing for Vanity Fair, Laura Bradley stated: “The writers worked to imbue the series with a diverse cast of characters whose values, socioeconomic status, and ambitions varied widely…the thing all of the show’s main characters have in common is their drive.”
Tambay Obenson had this to say in IndieWire, “The creators and cast know this world intimately, and instead of turning their camera on the usual crime and poverty, they find the humor that exists within the mayhem.”
Season 2 holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on six critics’ reviews.
So why did the show get repo’d?
We can only assume that the real reason, since the spokesman would not disclose any, has to do with Warner Bros Discovery’s continued cost-cutting.
The news comes after HBO canceled two other shows this month. Earlier in February, the streamer announced the Hugh Laurie-led comedy series, Avenue 5 would be coming back from space. “Going to space with Armando Iannucci has been an incredible journey, while we will not be moving forward with a third season of Avenue 5, we look forward to many more adventures together,” a spokesperson from HBO said. The series also starred Josh Gad, Lenora Crichlow, Zach Woods, Rebecca Front, and Suzy Nakamura.
HBO Max also canceled the quirky Pennyworth, which was Bruno Heller’s Alfred the Butler-focused prequel to the Commissioner Gordon-focused Batman prequel Gotham which aired on Fox for five seasons.
“An incredible blend of action, drama, and humor, for three seasons, Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler has taken fans on a mind-bending ride into Alfred’s eccentric world and the beginnings of cutting-edge superheroes and super villains,” a spokesperson for the streamer acknowledged at the time, thanking the cast and crew—including creator Bruno Heller—for their hard work.
The streamer also canceled Westworld, Doom Patrol, Titans, and The Flight Attendant. Sister publication Reel 360 News has also covered prominent movie cancellations such as Batgirl.
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