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Search Party heads from TBS to HBO Max for seasons 3-4

By Wade Wainio

HOLLYWOOD, CA - NOVEMBER 18: (L-R) Jessica Chaffin, Jeffrey Smart, guest, Meredith Hagnar, John Reynolds, Claire Tyers, Sarah Violet Bliss, Phoebe Tyers, Charles Rogers, John Early and Alia Shawkat attend a 'Search Party' event during Vulture Festival LA Presented by AT&T at Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on November 18, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Vulture Festival)
HOLLYWOOD, CA - NOVEMBER 18: (L-R) Jessica Chaffin, Jeffrey Smart, guest, Meredith Hagnar, John Reynolds, Claire Tyers, Sarah Violet Bliss, Phoebe Tyers, Charles Rogers, John Early and Alia Shawkat attend a 'Search Party' event during Vulture Festival LA Presented by AT&T at Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on November 18, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Vulture Festival) /
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TBS’ Search Party has critical praise, but is said to need the ratings “lifeline” that HBO Max has to offer.

WarnerMedia’s HBO Max streaming service will be the new home of Search Party, as ratings trail off on TBS.  However, there’s little reason to believe it will be a bumpy transition, as WarnerMedia owns both networks. Search Party, which Deadline describes as a dark comedy about “privileged, self-absorbed twenty-somethings covering up a murder,” has plenty of critical acclaim. A writer for GQ called it “a flawless oddity, a once-in-a-lifetime piece of art,” for example.

Search Party stars Alia Shawkat, John Reynolds, John Early, Meredith Hagner, and Brandon Micheal Hall, and has also featured Clare McNulty, Ron Livingston, Rosie Perez, Christine Taylor, Parker Posey (Lost in Space) and J. Smith-Cameron (Succession).  It’s also been reported that Emmy-award winning comedian Louie Anderson will be joining the cast as a recurring character.

What will the switch mean?

To begin with, switching platforms says little about a show’s quality or fan base.  Plenty of beloved shows have done this over the years.  For example, Mystery Science Theater 3000 was originally on Comedy Central, switching over to the SCI FI Channel (before it was Syfy), and is currently on Netflix.  Similarly, Futurama was on FOX, then Comedy Central.  Even more dramatically, Family Guy was initially canceled after only 3 seasons but was resurrected by FOX due to its DVD sales (coincidentally, another reason to maybe consider keeping physical media alive).

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Search Party‘s change may be considered more strategic than anything.  It is apparently believed that the show will have stronger viewership at HBO Max, which is plausible.  Of course, if it can be available on additional streaming services, it will have even stronger chances.  Search Party was created by Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers, and Michael Showalter.  The producers include Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers, Michael Showalter, Tony Herandez, Lilly Burns, Brittney Segal, Jake Fuller, Alia Shawkat, and John Skidmore.

What are your thoughts on Search Party?  Let us know in the comments!

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