Cancelled HBO Max TV Series that Are Still Worth Checking Out
Streaming catalogs change constantly, and a lot of strong series end up with shorter runs than viewers expect. Even so, many shows that stopped after one or two seasons still pack complete, compelling stories, distinctive craft, and memorable performances that reward a first watch.
Below are twenty cancelled series that premiered on HBO, HBO Max, or moved to Max during their runs. Each one is easy to sample because episode counts are modest, casts are stacked with recognizable talent, and the concepts are immediately clear—perfect for a weekend dive or a focused binge.
‘Westworld’ (2016–2022)
Created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy and produced by Kilter Films and Bad Robot, ‘Westworld’ begins inside an adult theme park where lifelike android “hosts” gradually awaken to their own reality. Across its run, the series expands into corporate intrigue, artificial intelligence ethics, and identity puzzles anchored by performances from Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton, Jeffrey Wright, and Ed Harris.
The show is known for large-scale location shoots in the American West and international cities, intricate production design, and a score by Ramin Djawadi. It collected multiple Emmys and became a fixture of genre discourse, with each season structured around self-contained arcs that make it straightforward to follow even after cancellation.
‘The Idol’ (2023)
‘The Idol’ follows a pop star attempting a comeback after a public setback while falling under the influence of a self-styled guru who runs a Hollywood-adjacent nightclub. The series was created by Sam Levinson, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, and Reza Fahim, and stars Lily-Rose Depp alongside Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Troye Sivan, and Hank Azaria.
Filmed primarily in Los Angeles with concert-scale staging for its musical sequences, the show features original songs performed by the cast. Its brief, finite episode count and behind-the-scenes involvement from contemporary pop producers make it an accessible snapshot of the entertainment industry’s pressures and mythmaking.
‘Gossip Girl’ (2021–2023)
This continuation of the original ‘Gossip Girl’ relocates the anonymous tipster concept to the age of smartphones and social platforms, centering on a new group of Manhattan private-school students. Developed by Joshua Safran, it features a fresh ensemble cast with occasional legacy cameos and retains Kristen Bell as the voice of the eponymous narrator.
The series was shot on location around New York’s Upper East Side, SoHo, and Brooklyn, with prominent fashion partnerships and music supervision that leans heavily on current artists. Two compact seasons track relationship shifts, family power plays, and influencer culture, concluding cleanly despite cancellation.
‘Raised by Wolves’ (2019–2022)
Executive produced by Ridley Scott and created by Aaron Guzikowski, ‘Raised by Wolves’ centers on two androids tasked with raising human children on a distant planet after Earth’s collapse. The story explores competing belief systems, survival, and parenthood, with Amanda Collin and Abubakar Salim leading the cast.
Shot in South Africa with extensive practical sets and creature effects, the show blends hard sci-fi concepts with grounded character work. Its two seasons deliver a complete off-world saga with distinct visual worldbuilding and a contained episode count that makes the viewing commitment clear.
‘Made for Love’ (2021–2022)
Based on Alissa Nutting’s novel and developed by Christina Lee and Patrick Somerville, ‘Made for Love’ follows a woman who escapes her tech-billionaire husband only to learn he has implanted a surveillance device in her brain. Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen, and Ray Romano headline the cast.
The series mixes near-future gadgets with small-town settings, contrasting corporate campuses and desert communities. Across its two seasons it uses its premise to examine data privacy, consent, and family dynamics, wrapping discrete arcs per season that are easy to watch in sequence.
‘Minx’ (2022–2023)
Set in Los Angeles during the rise of second-wave feminism, ‘Minx’ charts the creation of a women-centered erotic magazine guided by an earnest young editor and a scrappy adult-mag publisher. Created by Ellen Rapoport, it stars Ophelia Lovibond and Jake Johnson.
The show recreates period print culture with meticulous prop design and covers real-world shifts in censorship, distribution, and sexual politics. Its production moved from HBO Max to another network for the second season, and the resulting two-season run forms a coherent arc through the magazine’s launch, growth, and internal power struggles.
‘Gordita Chronicles’ (2022)
‘Gordita Chronicles’ is a family comedy about a Dominican girl and her parents navigating immigration, identity, and ambitions after relocating to Miami. Created by Claudia Forestieri and produced with Eva Longoria and Zoe Saldaña as executive producers, it stars Olivia Goncalves, Diana Maria Riva, and Juan Javier Cardenas.
The series uses voiceover narration from its adult protagonist to frame episodic stories about school, work, and community ties. With a single, concise season and a clear sense of time and place, it offers a complete set of character introductions and family milestones that stand on their own.
‘Close Enough’ (2020–2022)
From J. G. Quintel, the creator of ‘Regular Show’, ‘Close Enough’ focuses on a millennial couple, their daughter, and friends sharing a duplex while dealing with work, parenting, and surreal Los Angeles detours. Voice talent includes Quintel, Gabrielle Walsh, Jessica DiCicco, and Kimiko Glenn.
Episodes are short, pairing grounded life problems with heightened twists and dreamlike gags characteristic of the creator’s style. The three-season run compiles many standalone stories, making it easy to sample, with animation that leans on bright palettes and clean character designs.
‘Love Life’ (2020–2021)
An anthology from creator Sam Boyd, ‘Love Life’ devotes each season to one protagonist’s romantic history, tracing formative relationships from first love to lasting partnership. The first season stars Anna Kendrick; the second centers on William Jackson Harper, with new ensembles surrounding each lead.
Shot across New York with frequent use of voiceover and chapter titles, the show structures episodes as discrete “milestones” that map clearly onto a character’s personal growth. Because each season resets its cast, the series functions as two complete mini-stories that can be watched independently.
‘Legendary’ (2020–2022)
‘Legendary’ is a ballroom competition series that spotlights houses competing in voguing and fashion categories inspired by ballroom culture. Contestants perform in elaborate themed balls, with celebrity judges rotating across the seasons and Dashaun Wesley serving as host.
The production partners with ballroom icons as judges and mentors, foregrounding choreography, house structure, and history. The episode format is consistent—ball preparation, performances, scores, and a final battle—so viewers can jump into any season and immediately understand the competition’s stakes and terminology.
‘FBoy Island’ (2021–2022)
Hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser, ‘FBoy Island’ places three leads among a group of self-described “FBoys” and “Nice Guys” competing in a tropical dating environment. The twist hinges on honesty about intentions, with eliminations revealing contestants’ declared categories.
Filmed on resort locations with reality-show staples like confessionals and challenges, the series uses a consistent structure over its seasons, culminating in reunion-style debriefs. After its initial run ended on HBO Max, the format moved to another network, but the original seasons remain a complete, self-contained watch.
‘The Nevers’ (2021–2023)
Set in Victorian London, ‘The Nevers’ follows a group of people—mostly women—who manifest unusual abilities after a mysterious event, forming alliances to protect one another. The ensemble includes Laura Donnelly, Ann Skelly, and Pip Torrens, with period settings and action choreography central to its identity.
The production mounts large set pieces with practical costumes and handcrafted props, blending historical drama with genre elements. Although distribution shifted after its initial run, the released episodes resolve major arcs and showcase a stable core cast across defined story blocks.
‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ (2022)
Adapted by Steven Moffat from Audrey Niffenegger’s novel, ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ tells the story of a couple whose relationship is complicated by involuntary time jumps. Rose Leslie and Theo James play the leads across different ages, supported by a consistent ensemble around their family and friends.
The series employs visual effects for seamless transitions between timelines and uses recurring locations to ground the jumps. Its limited episode count covers the novel’s key beats, from first meetings to later-life complications, making it easy to complete in a single stretch.
‘Los Espookys’ (2019–2022)
Created by Julio Torres, Ana Fabrega, and Fred Armisen, ‘Los Espookys’ follows friends who turn their love of horror effects into a business staging eerie events for clients. The bilingual cast features Torres and Fabrega alongside Bernardo Velasco and Cassandra Ciangherotti.
Filmed largely in Chile with stylized production design, the series blends deadpan humor with practical special-effects gags and one-off commissions that double as mini-mysteries. Two seasons provide compact, character-driven plots that resolve cleanly, with each episode structured around a specific client brief.
‘Avenue 5’ (2020–2022)
From creator Armando Iannucci, ‘Avenue 5’ is a space-set workplace comedy about a luxury cruise ship thrown off course, forcing its crew to manage passengers and corporate decision-makers under pressure. Hugh Laurie leads the ensemble, joined by Josh Gad, Zach Woods, and Nikki Amuka-Bird.
The production uses large spaceship sets, model work, and visual effects to sell the cruise environment, while episodes follow crisis-of-the-week scenarios that build toward practical solutions. Its two seasons are neatly contained, with clear plot escalation and a defined ensemble arc.
‘Perry Mason’ (2020–2023)
‘Reimagined by Ron Fitzgerald and Rolin Jones, ‘Perry Mason’ traces the early days of the iconic defense attorney as he transitions from private investigator to courtroom advocate in Los Angeles. Matthew Rhys stars, with Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, and Shea Whigham among the principal cast.
Meticulous period production design recreates historic neighborhoods, courtrooms, and backlots, while cases unfold across season-long investigations that culminate in trial sequences. The two seasons function as separate case files, offering complete mysteries with beginning-to-end resolutions.
‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty’ (2022–2023)
Developed by Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht from Jeff Pearlman’s nonfiction account, ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty’ dramatizes the transformation of a basketball franchise under new ownership, focusing on the partnership between Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with supporting figures across the organization. The cast includes John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, and Solomon Hughes.
Stylistically, the series mixes archival-style footage techniques with period costumes and recreated arenas. Each season covers a discrete stretch of competition and front-office maneuvering, concluding with on-court climaxes that tie together the year’s storylines.
‘Warrior’ (2019–2023)
Inspired by a concept from Bruce Lee and developed by Jonathan Tropper, ‘Warrior’ follows Chinese immigrant tong fighters, law enforcement, and political figures in San Francisco’s Chinatown during the era of the Chinese Exclusion Act. The cast features Andrew Koji, Olivia Cheng, and Jason Tobin.
Known for intricately choreographed martial-arts sequences and detailed period sets, the show moved from Cinemax to Max for its later season. The available seasons form a continuous narrative with clear factional rivalries and territory shifts, making it straightforward to follow from the pilot onward.
‘Rap Sh!t’ (2022–2023)
Created by Issa Rae and showrun by Syreeta Singleton, ‘Rap Sh!t’ charts the formation of a Miami hip-hop duo balancing day jobs, social media strategy, and the business realities of independent music. Aida Osman and KaMillion lead the cast, with real-world industry cameos woven into the story.
The series uses phone screens, livestreams, and direct messages as visual language, reflecting how artists build audiences. Two compact seasons document the group’s creative process, management conflicts, and touring logistics, offering a full look at early-career momentum from rehearsal rooms to onstage performances.
‘Tokyo Vice’ (2022–2024)
Created by J. T. Rogers and inspired by Jake Adelstein’s journalism, ‘Tokyo Vice’ follows a foreign crime reporter covering organized crime and police corruption in Tokyo. Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe headline the cast, with support from Rachel Keller, Rinko Kikuchi, and Show Kasamatsu.
The production filmed extensively on location, incorporating real neighborhoods, newsrooms, and nightlife districts. Its seasons are structured as investigative arcs that tie together newsroom procedures, mentorships, and criminal networks, delivering a complete set of intertwined cases across a finite episode count.
‘Our Flag Means Death’ (2022–2023)
Created by David Jenkins, ‘Our Flag Means Death’ tells the story of an aristocrat who abandons a comfortable life to become a pirate captain and crosses paths with the legendary Blackbeard. Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi lead an ensemble that includes Samson Kayo, Vico Ortiz, and Joel Fry.
The series combines seafaring set pieces with character-focused storytelling aboard a purpose-built ship set. Across its two seasons it charts crew dynamics, shifting alliances, and rival pirate factions, wrapping core plotlines within a compact run that is easy to complete.
Share your picks and any underrated favorites from this list in the comments!
