HBO
The Jack Black and Tim Robbins comedy generated mixed reviews and drew a respectable 1.6 million total viewers.
HBO is changing its course on The Brink.
The premium cable network has opted to cancel the Jack Black and Tim Robbins comedy after one season — despite renewing it it July.
"After evaluating our schedule and our programming needs, we unfortunately decided we cannot give The Brink the attention it deserves for a second season," HBO said in a statement. "We are proud of the first season and wish everyone involved in this show the very best."
The half-hour series, which bowed in late June alongside Dwayne Johnson's renewed Ballers, was part of HBO's efforts to broaden its comedy brand.
Brink centered on a geopolitical crisis and its effect on three disparate and desperate men: Walter Larson, U.S. Secretary of State (Robbins); Alex Talbot, a lowly Foreign Service officer (Black); and Zeke Tilson, an ace Navy fighter pilot (Pablo Schreiber). These three compromised souls must pull through the chaos around them to save the planet from World War III.
The Kim and Roberto Benabib created series, which was helmed by HBO go-to Jay Roach generated mixed reviews, with a Metacritic score of just 52. (Already-renewed Ballers nabbed a 65.) Still, the premiere telecast drew a respectable 1.6 million viewers in its 10:30 p.m. slot, down from lead-in Ballers' 2.2 million viewer haul.
News of Brink's cancellation comes months after executive producer Jerry Weintraub, who was integral to selling the spec script to HBO, passed away.
For HBO, the decision to drop The Brink comes as its comedy roster consists of Ballers, Doll & Em, Girls, the final season of Getting On, Silicon Valley, Togetherness, Veep and the upcoming Vice Principals, starring Danny McBride. The cabler also has recently ordered comedies Divorce, High Maintenance, the Duplass brothers' Animals, Brothers in Atlanta as well as Issa Rae entry Insecure all due next year.
The Brink
