Hulu has passed on a second season of “Not Suitable for Work,” the Mindy Kaling-created comedy that wrapped its nine-episode run two months ago. Warner Bros. Television, which produced the series, intends to pitch it to other streamers in hopes of keeping the show alive elsewhere.
The cancellation leaves several storylines unresolved for its five central characters, played by Ella Hunt, Jack Martin, Avantika Vandanapu, Nicholas Duvernay and Will Angus. The season finale closed with each of them tangled in a love triangle, while two of the leads faced uncertain job prospects after clashing with their overbearing boss, played by Jay Ellis. Kaling told Deadline at the time of the finale that a writers room had already assembled to begin work on a second season, and that she was optimistic about an official renewal.
The series followed five career-focused young adults navigating professional ambition and romantic entanglement in Manhattan’s Murray Hill neighborhood. It marked Kaling’s first credit as sole creator on a series since “The Mindy Project,” which began on Fox before moving to Hulu for three additional seasons and becoming one of the platform’s earliest original hits. The show also completed an informal trilogy tracing different stages of young adulthood across Kaling’s television output, following the teenage years depicted in “Never Have I Ever” and the college years explored in “The Sex Lives of College Girls.”
Hulu has not issued a public statement explaining its decision, and the cancellation places “Not Suitable for Work” alongside several other recent casualties at the streamer, which also declined to move forward with the pilots “Buffy: New Sunnydale,” “Foster Dade” and “Don’t Get High.” Despite the setback, Kaling’s broader television career remains active, with her Netflix series “Running Point” already renewed for a third season.
Whether Warner Bros. succeeds in relocating the series remains uncertain, given its mixed critical reception during its debut run. The show attracted a respectable audience for Hulu and generated enough attention to leave Kaling hopeful heading into the renewal decision, though it never developed into the kind of breakout hit that typically secures a quick pickup elsewhere.
