‘Uncoupled’ Picked Up By Showtime For Season 2 Following Netflix Cancellation As Part Of New Content Strategy

Nellie Andreeva
·3 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Uncoupled, has been saved. I hear Showtime is picking up Season 2 (and potentially beyond) of the comedy series, from Emily in Paris creator Darren Star and Modern Family veteran Jeffrey Richman, a couple weeks after the MTV Entertainment Studios-produced show was canceled by Netflix. At the premium network, soon to be renamed Paramount+ with Showtime, Uncoupled is designed to fit into one the three main content lanes recently outlined by new Showtime boss Chris McCarthy, “Metro Cultures”, which spans “culturally diverse takes” like The L Word and The Chi.

As Deadline reported at the time of the cancellation, speculation that the series starring Neil Patrick Harris would not be continuing at Netflix started in late 2022 when sources indicated that there was an effort by Uncoupled producer MTV Entertainment Studios, where Star is under an overall deal, to find a new home for the series at Paramount Global sibling Showtime. At the time, those conversations did not result in a pickup, and Uncoupled was officially canceled by Netflix Jan. 13.

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A lot has changed at Showtime since. The plan by parent Paramount Global to integrate the premium network into streaming platform Paramount+ was announced, and Showtime has shed several series, not proceeding with new drama Three Women (which is landing at Starz), and cancelling American Gigolo and Let The Right One In as it is shifting focus to three main strengths/content filters. They include Complex Characters (Subversive antiheroes like Dexter & Yellowjackets), Powerful Worlds (High-stakes shows like Billions & Homeland) and Metro-Cultures. (In the first two areas, Showtime is expanding the Dexter and Billions universes with multiple spinoffs and greenlighted espionage thriller The Department.)

Additionally, upcoming Showtime limited series Ripley just jumped to Netflix. In fact, Showtime’s negotiations with Netflix for Ripley were going on on parallel tracks with the network’s talks for former Netflix series Uncoupled.

In Diverse Cultures, Showtime is looking to build on its legacy in the arena with such shows as Brothers (1984), Queer as Folk (2000), The L Word (2004) and its current reboot as well as Soul Food (1999) and Resurrection Boulevard (2000).

There are also practical reasons for scaling up in the category. Showtime’s current shows, The Chi and The L Word, boast some of Showtime’s most loyal audiences but also have high churn as the network doesn’t have complementary programming to keep those viewers year-around.

On Showtime, Uncoupled is expected to be edgier and racier than the version that aired on Netflix. In addition to The L Word, it is joining an upcoming Showtime limited series featuring LGBTQ+ themes, Fellow Travelers, which stars Matt Bomer, Jonathan Bailey, Allison Williams, Jelani Alladin and Noah J. Ricketts.

In Uncoupled, Harris stars as a gay man in his mid-40s navigating the single life in New York City after he was unceremoniously dumped by his partner of 17 years. The core cast also includes Tisha Campbell, Brooks Ashmanskas, Emerson Brooks and Marcia Gay Harden.

Star, who executive produces Uncoupled with Richman and Jax Media, is among the top creators on MTV Entertainment Studios’ talent roster. He is behind the studio’s hit Netflix comedy series Emily in Paris and previously created the company’s TV Land hit Younger, which finished its run on Paramount+.

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