‘Mid-century modern’ gets disappointing update despite rave reviews — what this means for season 2
In a startling turn of events, Hulu has axed comedy drama 'Mid-Century Modern', despite the show earning rave reviews. The multicamera sitcom was the creative brainchild of Max Mutchnick, along with David Kohan, and is credited as the last drama of veteran actress Linda Lavin. Set against the heartfelt backdrop of three late middle-aged gay friends staying together, the comedy show has an IMDb score of 7.5/10, which leaves many wondering about the real reason behind its cancellation.
Mutchnick confirmed that the show has concluded by writing an Instagram post that reads, "Ten great episodes…Not enough. But we loved making every single one of them. We're going to miss our very special show." He further added, "Thanks to everyone who watched," as per The Hollywood Reporter. Notably, Hulu had greenlit 'Mid-Century Modern' in August 2024 and released the full season as a binge drop in late March. The series received generally positive reviews but didn't reach Nielsen's top 10 streaming list.
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Not only that, but the show also earned four Emmy nominations for director James Burrows, production design, sound mixing for a half-hour series, and picture editing for a multicamera comedy. Produced by Disney's 20th Television, the show was executive produced by creators Kohan and Mutchnick, along with Ryan Murphy, Burrows, Lane, and Bomer. The biggest reason for the cancellation of the show could be attributed to its inability to secure viewership. While the show received positive reviews (88% on Rotten Tomatoes), it struggled to attract a wide audience, a common challenge for streaming multi-camera sitcoms, as per Deadline.
The series marked Lavin's final role before her death in December, as she had filmed seven of the ten episodes, and the creative team had to rework the remaining episodes while grieving. The show follows three gay men, Bunny Schneiderman (Nathan Lane), Jerry Frank (Matt Bomer), and Arthur Broussard (Nathan Lee Graham), who, after an unexpected death, choose to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs alongside Bunny's mother, Sybil Schneiderman (Linda Lavin). The series features guest stars like Pamela Adlon, Vanessa Bayer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Judd Hirsch, Cheri Oteri, and more.