Following the cancellation ofDuster, the show has been falling on streaming charts. Created by J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan,Duster’s castwas led byLostalum Josh Holloway as Jim Ellis, a getaway driver turned FBI informant. Less than a week after the season finale aired,HBO Max cancelledDuster.
PerFlixPatrol, since the announcement on July 9 that the series was cancelled,Dusterhas been plummeting on streaming charts. On the day of the announcement,Dusterwas at the no. 4 spot on the HBO Max United States Top 10. The following day, it dropped to no. 7, and fell even lower the day after to the no. 8 spot.
What This Means For Duster
The Show Didn’t Generate Enough Viewership
Dusterbeing cancelled came as somewhat of a surprise. The day before the show was cancelled, it was at no. 3 in the HBO Max Top 10. However,it never entered the Nielsen Top 10 for original streaming shows, which likely played a large role in its cancellation.
Dusterwas greenlit in 2020 as part of Abrams' overall deal with WarnerMedia. Why the series failed to reach a larger audience could come down to several factors, including a lack of marketing for the series.Dusterreviewswere overall positive, receiving a93% approval score on Rotten Tomatoesand an audience score of 84%.
Despite other efforts,Dusterreportedly will not be picked up by another streamer, and the options for the cast have expired. As the show has immediately begun losing its audience on streaming,Dusterseems to have come to an early end.
The Cancellation Is Disappointing
Image via Max
During an era of reboots, remakes, sequels, and IP driving many streamers' decisions,Dusterbeing cancelled is an unfortunate blow. The series had engaging characters, a compelling mystery, and felt genuinely fresh in a landscape that often rehashes the same ideas over and over again.
As it was a period show,Dusterlikely had a high budget to try and accurately recreate the 1970s. Without high enough viewership to propel the series forward, the budget could have played a role in the series being cancelled.
AlthoughDuster’s endingwraps up the majority of its storylines, it has some major reveals at the end that set up season 2. Despite those plot points not getting the opportunity to have a resolution,Dusteris still a show worth checking out. I wish the series had the chance to continue, but it was still a fun ride while it lasted.
