HBO Scraps Mike Judge Comedy Shows ‘Qualityland,’ ‘A5’
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HBO has decided to drop two Mike Judge comedy shows that the premium cable network ordered from the “Silicon Valley” co-creator and showrunner in 2019, Variety has confirmed.
The shows were ordered as part of a two-year overall deal that encompassed all forms of television except for animation. The decision comes as Judge has been overseeing the reimagining of “Beavis and Butt-Head” for Comedy Central as part of an animation deal with the ViacomCBS network. The cancelation also arrives as HBO programming president Casey Bloys is refocusing on reviewing programming for both HBO and HBOMax.
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The first project, formerly a co-production between HBO and Lionsgate, is titled “Qualityland.” It is based on the novel of the same name by Marc Uwe-King and is about “the story of humanity’s struggle against the tyranny of convenience. But funny,” the official description for the series states. Judge and Josh Lieb were slated to serve as writers and executive producers, with Michael Rotenberg of 3 Arts Entertainment also executive producing.
The second show that was scrapped, a limited comedy series entitled “A5,” is centered on a bioengineer who discovers the gene that makes a person an a-hole and attempts to discover the reason behind the existence of a-holes, and whether or not there’s a cure for this unpleasant affliction. Judge and Etan Cohen co-wrote the series and were set to executive produce with Rotenberg also executive producing.
Judge has also created and narrated the animated series “Tales From the Tour Bus,” which bowed on Cinemax in 2017. He is known for his work on hit shows like “Beavis and Butt-Head” and “King of the Hill,” as well as films like “Office Space” and “Idiocracy.” Judge is repped by WME, 3 Arts, and Morris Yorn.
Deadline first reported the series news.
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