There's some unfortunate news out of Essex College: School's out forever... well, maybe. Max announced on Tuesday, March 18 that The Sex Lives of College Girls season 4 isn't happening. The hit college comedy series was sadly canceled after three hilarious seasons, leaving fans heartbroken and mourning one of the last great young adult comedy series on television.
In the wake of the cancellation announcement, The Sex Lives of College Girls co-creator and showrunner Justin Noble took to Instagram to share a long and heartfelt statement about the series' cancellation, and even revealed that discussions have been taking place with other streamers to save the series and that "there is so much interest." That's a silver lining at least!
Beyond addressing the show's current fate, Noble shared his gratitude for his collaborator, co-creator and executive producer Mindy Kaling, along with Warner Bros. and Max, the cast, writers, crew, and most of all the fans. But the creator also made sure to address the fact that Sex Lives was among the top shows on Max all throughout its 10-week season 3 run, making the cancellation a shock.
"But regardless of what happens, I'm proud of this show and the work that so many incredibly talented people put into it. After seeing our show listed as the most watched or second most watched scripted show on the entire platform, for about 70 days straight, this is not the outcome that I saw coming."
Read Noble's full statement in his post below:
The Sex Lives of College Girls season 4 not happening at Max
If you're wondering where The Sex Lives of College Girls could potentially end up if Warner Bros. manages to secure a new home, Deadline reports that Netflix is currently a "long-shot" contender. While Kaling has a great relationship with Netflix, having produced the hit teen comedy Never Have I Ever as well as the current successful comedy Running Point (which is also produced by Warner Bros.), moving a Max show to Netflix comes with a big list of logistical headaches.
Netflix might not be super receptive to saving another struggling comedy series from a competing streamer after its acquisition of Peacock's Girls5eva unfortunately didn't have the hoped for result of turning the series into a worldwide smash. Saving a series entails more than just moving it. There's a lot of red tape involved in transitioning the international rights as well as the rights to the past seasons. Of course, there's a way if the interest is high enough, it's just more of a con than a pro.
As for why Max chose to cancel The Sex Lives of College Girls rather than renewing the series for a fourth a final season, Deadline suggests ratings and overall reception to season 3 played a part in the streamer's ultimate decision. Apparently, even though the season ranked highly on the streamer's top 10 list, the viewership decreased compared to the previous two seasons. The longer wait between seasons, Reneé Rapp's departure, and new characters could have played a part in the decline.
Another factor that can't be overlooked, the season 3 finale ended without cliffhangers and (mostly) wrapped up the storylines of the main characters, which was a choice Noble made in order to give the girls a win after a season of so many ups and downs. While it wasn't a response to a potential cancellation, writing an ending that could double as a series finale makes it easier for a network or streamer to cancel a show on the bubble.
Honestly, I'd love to see The Sex Lives of College Girls find its place on a new streamer and become more successful than ever. As a fan of the show since its premiere, I'd always hoped that we would see these characters through their college graduation, a natural ending for this story. There's still hope that that could happen, but I won't get them up too high. If the show doesn't stage a comeback, at least we got closure and had the chance to say goodbye.