If you’ve wondered where the hell Showtime has been hiding news about the computer-based comedy Web Therapy, wonder no longer. The Lisa Kudrow-created series has been canceled after four seasons. If only there was a real Fiona Wallace for us to share our mournful stories with for the next few minutes.
The cancelation was announced following Showtime’s panel at this year’s TCA press event, according to Deadline, with the network’s president David Nevins sharing the bad news. Starting off as a webseries on LStudio.com in 2008, Web Therapy was acquired by Showtime and debuted on the cable network in 2011 in a form that mashed the webisodes together. The web series lasted for six seasons, and there doesn’t seem to be any sign of whether Kudrow will be continuing the show online or not.
A series that was mostly improvised, Web Therapy centered on Kudrow as Fiona Wallace, a therapist who begins a new form of counseling through three-minute webcam chats and dedicates her life to building that brand, often with less than stellar results. (Fiona is kind of a douchebag.) Victor Garber played Kip, her attorney and husband, although he also happens to be more than a little gay. Co-creator and writer Dan Bucatinsky played one of her clients that ends up becoming her personal assistant. The show utilized a slew of guest stars, including Alan Cumming, Meryl Streep, Dax Shepard, Billy Crystal, Allison Janney and many more. As well, it allowed Kudrow to reunite with former Friends co-stars David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Courtney Cox,
Perhaps most memorable was Lily Tomlin as Fiona’s mentally unstable mother Putsy (or is she?), who looks down upon Fiona’s occupation until she starts up a competing business. Check her out below.
Web Therapy was Kudrow’s second premium cable series, following HBO’s stellar reality show spoof The Comeback, which got a Season 2 last year after a nine-year gap. HBO has said they’re willing to give that show a Season 3 whenever Kudrow and co-creator Michael Patrick King are able to put it together. Maybe Kudrow will have more time now.
Last airing in January of this year, Web Therapy is the latest cancelation to come from Showtime, which put a stop to Happyish last month. (Nurse Jackie also came to a close earlier this year.) On the flip side of things, the network announced at TCA that it has renewed Ray Donovan for Season 4 and Masters of Sex for Season 4. Homeland Season 5 and The Affair Season 2 will premiere later this year.
