Max has decided to park “The Girls on the Bus” after just a single season. The political journalism drama inspired by Amy Chozick’s book and experiences as a reporter on the campaign trail will not be getting a renewal on the Warner Bros. Discovery streamer.
“While Max will not be moving forward with a second season of ‘The Girls on the Bus,’ we are grateful to have partnered with immensely talented Amy Chozick, Julie Plec, Rina Mimoun, as well as the teams at Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television,” Max said in a statement. “We are so proud of this powerful story of found family and the celebration of journalism, in all its forms. We thank them and our unrivaled cast for all their incredible work and collaboration.”
The cancellation brings an end to the show’s long journey to the screen. It was initially set up at Netflix in 2019 with a series order before being dropped during the pandemic. It then moved to development at The CW in 2021 prior to ultimately landing at Max (then HBO Max) with a series pickup in 2022.
Co-created by Chozick and Julie Plec, “The Girls on the Bus” starred Melissa Benoist, Carla Gugino, Natasha Behnam, and Christina Elmore as a group of journalists following the chaos and personal lives intersecting on the trail of multiple presidential campaigns. The series explored their bonds, romances, and the realities of being a female reporter in a male-dominated industry.
In addition to Chozick and Plec, the show’s executive producers included Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, Rina Mimoun (who served as showrunner), and director Jesse Peretz. Berlanti Productions produced in association with Warner Bros. Television.
The cancellation is part of an expected programming restructuring at Max amid cost-cutting measures at Warner Bros. Discovery. Other recent Max cancellations include “The Flight Attendant,” “Rap Sh!t,” “Julia,” and “Our Flag Means Death” as the company evaluates its content spend.
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For prolific producer Berlanti, “The Girls on the Bus” is the latest of several titles to face the axe, including The CW’s “Kung Fu,” “Gotham Knights,” and the final season of “Superman & Lois,” as well as Netflix’s “You” ending later this year. His remaining shows include The CW’s “All American” franchises and Netflix’s recently launched “Dead Boy Detectives.”
“The Girls on the Bus” attracted mixed reviews, with criticism aimed at the show’s attempt to blend journalism drama with soap-y thriller elements. However, it still garnered a warm audience reception based on its 86% viewership rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
While the high-profile series failed to gain enough traction for renewal, its exploration of modern political reporting from multiple diverse perspectives still made it a notable addition to Max’s slate of prestige offerings. But in today’s economic realities, even buzzworthy shows backed by big names can find themselves getting unceremoniously booted from the bus. Feel free to read our review of The Girls on the Bus Season 1.
