10 TV Shows That Just Got Cancelled
7. Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty
HBO's ambitious dramatisation of the Los Angeles Lakers throughout the 1980s was massively hyped prior to release, and while the show was dinged by basketball historians for its loosey-goosey approach to strict facts, critics lauded its strong performances and stylish filmmaking across both seasons.
Yet on the very same day that its second season finished airing, HBO revealed that Winning Time had been cancelled.
Though no official reason was cited, declining viewing figures throughout season two relative to its large production budget is the most likely culprit.
Given that Jeff Pearlman, the author of the book on which the show is based, expressed concern that it wouldn't be renewed for season three due to the SAG-AFTRA strike preventing the cast from promoting it, it's not terribly surprising that it received the chop.
Plus, with season two being reduced from ten episodes to just seven and racing through a much larger period of the Lakers' history, the writing seemed to be very much on the wall.