Looks like Showtime is shuttering Marty Kaan’s consulting business, as Deadline reports the pay-cable network has canceled House Of Lies. The comedy starred Don Cheadle as a manipulative, high-powered consultant (is there any other kind?) who surrounded himself with similarly duplicitous smooth-talkers like Kristen Bell and Ben Schwartz. The fifth season is currently airing, and its finale will now serve as the coda. Here’s the season five trailer which, damn it, includes a guest appearance from John Cho, making this news all the more regrettable.
House Of Lies recently made history by becoming the first U.S. scripted series to film in Cuba since the ’50s. The island nation is actually the setting for the final episode, which will air on June 12. Deadline notes that there were “questions” around the likelihood of renewal, given the fact that Bell was recently cast in Mike Schur’s new NBC sitcom opposite Ted Danson. In a statement, Showtime president and CEO David Nevins said that the network felt the show had reached an “incredibly satisfying conclusion” after taking on some issues that other series might have been reluctant to address.
Over the course of its five seasons, it has tackled such hot-button topics as gender identity, wealth inequality, white privilege, police brutality, interracial relationships, and code-switching with honesty and a biting sense of humor. Matthew Carnahan and Don Cheadle have been dream partners and impeccable leaders. The core cast of Don, Kristen, Ben and Josh are one of the best comedy teams on television. They have brought the series to an incredibly satisfying conclusion with this historic final episode shot in Cuba.