HBO canceled the animated comedy after three seasons.
Close Enough was created by JG Quintel, the man behind the cult comedy Regular Show, who also topped the voice cast list, which included Gabrielle Walsh, Jason Mantzoukas, Kimiko Glenn, Jessica DiCicco, James Adomian and Danielle Brooks.
Close Enough followed Josh and Emily – and their daughter Candice – a couple in their mid-30s, who live in a duplex in Los Angeles with their divorced friends Alex and Bridgette. The show chronicled their lives as they grappled with everyday challenges, with things often taking surreal, science-fiction turns.
Originally intended to air on TBS in 2017, after a series of delays, the show premiered on HBO Max in 2020. Three seasons of eight episodes each have aired, with the most recent season coming to an end in early April 2022.
The show featured a number of high-profile guest stars during its run, including the likes of Jane Lynch, Henry Winkler, “Weird Al” Yankovic, David Hasselhoff and Noel Fielding.
In a statement to Deadline, (opens in new tab) an HBO Max spokesperson said of the show’s end: “After three great seasons, Close Enough is coming to an end. We are very proud of the series and grateful to creator JG Quintel and our partners at Cartoon Network Studios, who made this show an instant fan favorite on HBO Max.”
Quintel himself confirmed the cancellation over the weekend, writing, “It’s true, Close Enough is ending after 3 seasons. I feel fortunate to have worked on this project with so many talented people. Thank you to everyone who helped bring it to life and to everyone who watched!”
It’s true, Close Enough is ending after 3 seasons. I feel fortunate to have worked on this project with so many talented people. Thank you to everyone who helped bring it to life, and to everyone who watched!July 15, 2022
The end of Close Enough leaves HBO Max with only one adult animated comedy series still making new episodes. This is ten year old Tom, that the streaming giant’s executives have just renewed for a second season.
Analysis: Why did HBO pull the trigger?
Once again, like the quirky comedy Joe Pera Talks With You, which had a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for both critics and audiences but was still cancelled, Close Enough had a true cult following.
The show’s first season has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes among critics (opens in new tab), while viewership scores hovered around the 80% mark for both the first and second seasons. You can’t pin this to bad reviews. As with Pera, then, this seems like yet another example of the cost-cutting going on at HBO’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.
A large part of the cost cutting was felt at HBO. Both The Time Traveler’s Wife and period drama Gentleman Jack were already canceled in July, and Warner Bros. Discovery. even canceled Chad, the acclaimed coming-of-age comedy, just hours before it aired.
Additionally, HBO had already shut down Demimonde, JJ Abrams’ first solo television creation since his original hit Alias, which was budgeted over $200 million.
The CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav is overseeing an epic round of belt-tightening and Close Enough is the latest show to fall victim to it. It won’t be the last.
It’s been a busy year for cancellations, so read about everything that has been canceled by Netflix here.