HBO Max Officially Cancels Legendary & Los Espookys
Both shows have officially gotten the chop from HBO Max, a one-two punch that hurt many in the LGBTQ community who loved the programs.
In just the past week, two beloved programs have been canceled at one of the top streamers in the entertainment industry, and coincidentally (or perhaps not so), they’re both shows that catered to an LGBTQ audience.
Both Legendary and Los Espookys have officially gotten the chop from HBO Max and will not move forward. The cancellations were announced days apart, acting as something of a one-two punch that hurt many in the LGBTQ community who loved and supported the programs.
The cancellations are not entirely shocking, as a lot of change is happening at HBO Max.
The brand is just one part of the recently-completed merger between Warner Bros and Discovery, forming Warner Bros Discovery. The top executives at the company are working to combine two streaming services – HBO Max and Discovery+ – into one entity, which is rumored to be named, simply, Max. This process involved a round of painful layoffs that took place earlier this year, and there may be more displacements, moves, and cancellations before all is said and done.
The newly-merged streaming platform is expected to debut at some point in Spring 2023, though an official date hasn’t been shared yet.
Los Espookys was the first of the two shows to be canceled, and HBO Max revealed the news on December 2. The horror/comedy wasn’t only for the LGBTQ audience, but it did find a fan base within it, thanks in part to the fact that it was created by openly gay actor and writer Julio Torres. The program lasted just two seasons.
While he won’t be creating a third installment of Los Espookys, Torres is already hard at work on several other projects for HBO Max, which might bring some LGBTQ charm back to the streamer.
Just a few days after fans mourned the loss of Los Espookys, they were forced to endure another casualty. Ballroom-focused reality series Legendary is also officially over after airing its third season in May 2022, with the final announcement being made public on December 6.
The show featured a variety of houses from the ballroom scene competing against one another in challenges that included dance, fashion, hair, and makeup, and included celebrity judges Jameela Jamil, Megan Thee Stallion, Law Roach, Leiomy Maldonado, and in the last season, Keke Palmer.
Both shows received critical acclaim, but apparently that wasn’t enough to save them.
Los Espookys’ first season holds a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, while Legendary earned several Emmy nominations throughout its run, winning at the most recent ceremony for Outstanding Contemporary Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program (Non-Prosthetic).
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