Why was 'The Other Two' canceled? Showrunners Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider accused of 'abuse'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Max (formerly known as HBO Max) has announced the cancelation of 'The Other Two' after three seasons. The comedy series, featuring Helene York and Drew Tarver as millennial siblings navigating their own challenges while their younger brother becomes an internet sensation, will conclude with its season three finale airing on Thursday, June 29.
The decision to end the show comes in the wake of multiple complaints from staff members regarding the conduct of the show's co-creators and showrunners, Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider. According to multiple sources associated with 'The Other Two', complaints were lodged with human resources regarding the behavior of Kelly and Schneider on set and in the writers' room. The allegations include accusations of verbal abuse by Kelly towards writers, excessive workload imposed on the crew, and claims that Schneider enabled Kelly's behavior.
Why was 'The Other Two' cancelled?
Following the complaints made against Kelly and Schneider, a formal investigation into their behavior was conducted by the production. As part of this investigation, Kelly and Schneider were temporarily prohibited from being on set.
"There’s a lot of Chris and Sarah in the show … I think a lot of their frustration comes from not being on-camera," one insider told THR. "These are two people who started off as improvisers. This is a show about people who are hungering for fame. Their friends and colleagues became well-known. … It’s a lot like the show."
"Other writers tell stories about The Other Two writers’ rooms like other people tell ghost stories," said another source.
'Chris is also mean to Sarah'
"As a team, they’ve been very destructive, but Chris is also mean to Sarah," a source described as a "veteran" of the series said. "Sarah is in a toxic professional relationship with him," added another source in agreement.
Tina Fey made a humorous reference to the alleged behavior of Kelly and Schneider during a speech at the PEN America Literary Awards in March. She jokingly suggested that Lorne Michaels, who is an executive producer on 'The Other Two' and had worked with Kelly and Schneider on SNL, may have played a role in fostering their rumored behavior during their time on the sketch comedy series.
"Nobody indulges writers like Lorne Michaels," Fey said. "Lorne, you have unleashed an army of monsters into the world. You know it, I know it, and the crew of The Other Two knows it — oh I was supposed to change that. I was supposed to change that. That’s inappropriate. Oh well, it’s not livestreaming."
