, and thanks the cast and crew led by Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson.
End of the line for “Duster” after a praised season
HBO Max decided not to renew “Duster” for a second season, ending the journey of the 1970s-set crime series, less than two months after its premiere. The production was released on May 15 as a prestige bet, but it failed to reach the expected audience and engagement for the platform.
Despite the cancellation, “Duster” received positive reception from both critics and audience: the series has an average of 92% from critics and 83% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
What was the story and the team of the series?
The crime series followed Nina, played by Rachel Hilson (“This Is Us”), the first Black agent in the FBI in 1972. Her mission takes her to the American Southwest, where she must dismantle an expanding criminal organization. For this, she recruits an experienced getaway driver played by Josh Holloway (“Lost”). The production explored action with an aesthetic inspired by 1970s blaxploitation films.
Created by J.J. Abrams (“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”) in collaboration with LaToya Morgan (“Into the Badlands”), the series marked Abrams’ reunion with Holloway. The two had worked together on “Lost,” a show developed by the producer and starring the actor as Sawyer. The cast also included Keith David (“No! Don’t Look!”), Greg Grunberg (“Alias”), Camille Guaty (“The Ghosts of Scrooge”), Asivak Koostachin (“Montana Story”), and Benjamin Charles Watson (“Designated Survivor”).
What did HBO Max and Warner Bros. say about the cancellation?
The platform released a statement thanking the creators and cast: “While HBO Max will not proceed with a second season of ‘Duster,’ we are very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the incredible talents of co-creators J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan and our partners at Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television. We are extremely proud of this series led by Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson, and we thank them, along with the cast and crew, for the incredible collaboration and partnership.”
Warner Bros. Television also commented: “J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan delivered a vibrant and multidimensional police drama in ‘Duster,’ with characters that took the audience into the 1970s in an innovative way. These characters came to life thanks to a wonderful team led by Josh, Rachel and an extremely talented cast, as well as an experienced behind-the-scenes team. We are very proud of the series, and although we would have liked the journey to continue, we thank our HBO Max partners for the opportunity to tell the story of Jim and Nina.”
Why didn’t “Duster” continue on HBO Max?
The decision to cancel “Duster” comes after attempts to find a new home for the series on other platforms, without success. Despite positive approval ratings, the title failed to reach significant audience levels. Sources close to the production stated that the cast’s contracts had already expired and were not renewed.
On the same day that it announced the cancellation, HBO Max confirmed the production of a new spin-off of “The Big Bang Theory” titled “Stuart Fails To Save The Universe,” also from Warner Bros. Television.
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