The world of television programming can still be unpredictable. Even though a TV show might have amazing talent behind it, that doesn't always guarantee a season renewal if the show isn't able to generate high ratings or social media buzz. Such is the case with Roadies, Showtime's hour-long dramedy about the lives and antics of a traveling rock show crew, which will not be returning for a second season.
Roadies was the brainchild of writer-director Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, Say Anything) who created the show with help from producers J.J. Abrams and Winnie Holzman. The dramedy starred Luke Wilson, Carla Gugino, and Imogen Poots. Crowe penned a post on his blog today thanking everyone who helped make the show. Despite the cancellation, he had a very positive experience making the show and wrote that he was happy with the one season they did have.
Thanks to Showtime and J.J. Abrams for the opportunity to make the one and only season of "Roadies." My mind is still spinning from the giddy highs of working with this epic cast and crew. Though we could tell a thousand more stories, this run ends with a complete ten-hour tale of music and love.
Despite the huge creative talent both behind and in front of the camera, Roadies was never able to land a strong audience. The show premiered to mixed result critically, with our own Jessica Rawden writing in her initial review that the pilot was "an easy, pleasant show to watch and often an amusing one, it hasn't figured out exactly what it wants to be yet," and that "it bloviates for the sake of bloviating." The show wrapped up its run on August 28 with 500,00 viewers according to Nielsen ratings.
It's been a tough summer for music-based TV shows, with Roadies only the latest to get the axe from its respective network. Earlier this year, HBO pulled the plug on Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger's Vinyl, deciding not to give the show a second season. Just last week Denis Leary's Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll was cancelled by FX after two seasons. Again, all these shows had big name talent but still weren't able to last more than one or two seasons.
Though Roadies may be done on Showtime, there's always the possibility that it will find a home on another network. It's unknown if Cameron Crowe and crew will decide to shop around the show or let it rest, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates if and when they happen.
