Showtime Axes Season 2 Of Neil Patrick Harris Dramedy “Uncoupled”

It looks like there will be no Season 2 of the Neil Patrick Harris dramedy Uncoupled after all. https://twitter.com/DEADLINE/status/1770888259398402294 The series premiered on Netflix in July 2022 and received mixed reviews with Harris starring as a gay man who was dumped by his longtime partner (Tuc Watkins) and then forced to face single life in New York City in his mid-forties. Netflix canceled the show after one season, but Showtime picked it up in February 2023. Deadline reports that the network has decided not to move forward with the second season ahead of filming, which was set to begin in May, following a delay due to the WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes. Ten scripts were reportedly written for Season 2, and Showtime had apparently tweaked the series to fit the network’s sensibilities (expected to be a tad edgier and racier). Personally, while I champion LGBTQ representation in quality TV shows, I had mixed feeling about Uncoupled. You can read my review for Season One here.

The supporting cast, which included the marvelous Marcia Gay Harden as Michael’s uber-rich client Claire, going through her own divorce, was excellent across the board. But most of the characters got little-to-no development until the final episode of the season. And Harris’s “Michael” switched in tone from moment-to-moment realness to suddenly going on wild, psychotic rants that a possible paramour is actually attracted to him, or another was too well-endowed causing him to flee the scene. In an early episode, Harris freaks out that a hook-up doesn’t use condoms (thanks to the arrival of PrEP almost a decade ago). Harris’s Michael acts as if he’s never even HEARD of PrEP, which comes across as nearly impossible living in NYC and having sexually-active gay buddies in the dating pool. Dan Amboyer, who played one of Harris’s love interests, posted to Instagram: “Sad that there won’t be a season 2 of Uncoupled after all. Thankful for my experience, would have loved to see this story go on.” https://www.instagram.com/p/C41LDIyJVnD/?hl=en