In an unprecedented move for a network well-known for providing its shows with second chances, no matter how many Lievs Schreiber they throw on the screen, Showtime has announced that it’s canceling Happyish. The series, which stars Steve Coogan as a depressed advertising writer and Kathryn Hahn as his artist wife, finished its first (and final) season last month.
Written and created by This American Life contributor Shalom Auslander, Happyish never had the easy path to success that greeted its sexy, smiling sister shows, like The Affair or Masters Of Sex. Originally conceived as a vehicle for Philip Seymour Hoffman, the show’s pilot had been picked up by the network when the actor died in February of 2014. The pilot was eventually re-shot with Steve Coogan, once again earning a pick-up order, and debuting to weak ratings and mixed critical success. (That being said, it’s possible that Showtime executives canceled the program just so they wouldn’t have to bum people out by reminding them of Hoffman’s death every single time they talked about the show.)