Sad times, Gossip Girl fans–the HBO Max revival series has been canceled after two reasons. According to Variety, Gossip Girl’s series finale will air on the streamer Jan. 26.
“We are very grateful to showrunner/executive producer Joshua Safran, and executive producers Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz for bringing us back to the Upper East Side and all the scandals at Constance Billard,” said the platform, per Deadline. “Although we are not moving forward with a third season of Gossip Girl, we thank them for the enticing love triangles, calculated backstabbing and impeccable fashion this series brought to a new audience.”
Safran announced the news to this fans, writing, “It is with the heaviest of hears that I have to announce Gossip Girl will not be continuing on HBO Max. Thank you for watching, and I hope you’ll tune into the finale next Thursday to see how it all comes together. xoxo.”
“A big thank you to all the GG fans around the world,” he continued. “You’re the reason we came back in the first place, and who knows, maybe the reason we will again. Much love.”
The first season was praised by the platform as earning a record number of viewers, earning its season 2 announcement. HBO Max hasn’t said why exactly this second season was canceled. But, Deadline reports that the second season was more popular with critics than with fans, and “could not capture the zeitgeist the way the CW show did.” The outlet also reported that the cancellation is not because of Warner Bros. Discovery’s cost-cutting, which resulted in numerous cancellations last year.
Safran and the cast talked to Shadow and Act’s Managing Editor Trey Mangum in Dec. 2022 about the second season. The showrunner and star Savannah Smith both teased the arc Smith’s character Monet was set to go on as she vied to go up against Julien (Jordan Alexander) to become the queen bee of the Upper East Side.
“Savannah’s abilities, where she took Monet, it was the best of all possible worlds. So instead of making Monet go after Julien in the background over many seasons…let’s go all the way there,” said Safran. “Let’s end season one with, ‘I’m taking it,’ and let’s start season 2 with ‘I am taking her down. It’s not enough just to take it, I have to destroy you.’ And the rest fell from there.”