The list of canceled TV shows apparently just got a little longer. Earlier this week, word broke that Showtime canceled Black Monday, its series starring Don Cheadle. Not in any official capacity, mind you, but from one of its co-stars making the revelation on a Twitch stream.
As reported by TV Series Finale, Paul Scheer (The League, How Did This Get Made?) broke the news on the Twitch show Thursdays with Rob & Paul. Scheer told co-host Rob Huebel (Children's Hospital, Human Giant) that the show had been canceled (which surprised Huebel), in a very indirect way: as an explanation for why he hasn't watched the Showtime series Yellowjackets.
Check it out for yourself here (skip ahead to the 28-minute mark):
After Scheer said "Since Black Monday was canceled on Showtime, I am boycotting—" Huebel sort of interrupted him, as he was confused by the news. Scheer elaborated, saying "I guess we haven't said it, let's say Black Monday was not renewed. ... It's been a known factor for months and months and months, but I guess no-one has officially said it. But now I have." The two then joked about how Scheer had bought multiple speed boats based on the expectations of a fourth season.
Black Monday starred Don Cheadle as Maurice "Mo" Monroe, who (with a group of allies) broke into the old-money world of the stock market — ultimately causing the market crash that took place on October 19, 1987. Their co-stars included Regina Hall, Andrew Rannells and Casey Wilson. It averaged around 100,000 viewers for its third and final season, which concluded last August.
Black Monday had held a 69% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 77% audience score.
Showtime reportedly canceled two other shows
On Tuesday (Jan. 25), the Pittsburgh Tribune Review broke news that Showtime had pulled a Netflix by canceling the Jeff Daniels-led American Rust after just one season.
In a statement from Showtime, the network thanked all involved by saying "We can confirm that 'American Rust' will not be moving forward with a second season ... We would like to thank our partners at Boat Rocker, our talented showrunner Dan Futterman and the rest of the wonderful writers, and our amazing cast led by Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney." American Rust may be looking for a new home, but it's unclear if it will find one. The series scored a low 28% on Rotten Tomatoes with critics (though it got a 73% with audiences).
The third canceled show on Showtime's list is more like Black Monday, in that news of its demise seems to have only quietly emerged. Work in Progress starred writer Abby McEnany as a fictionalized version of herself, redefining her personal identity throughout crises. Co-star Celeste Pechous seems to have been the only person to announce the news, which she quietly did in the below tweet:
Beyond proud. Ecstatic to be a part of this story. No season 3. But we’re all a work in progress… so just the beginning. https://t.co/NlKCPvxzXkDecember 6, 2021
