Well, this is a big, fat bummer you can bet on: After two short seasons on Max, the streamer announced it has canceled Bookie, a sitcom nestled in the world of sports betting. Why? While your guess is as good as mine (because the show is rife with great characters and plenty of humor), it’s likely due to poor ratings, despite the warm critical reception and acclaim it has received since its premiere in November 2023.
This reception, combined with a 90% Tomatometer and 86% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes, is why Max absolutely made the wrong decision in cancelling Bookie. Audiences clearly loved the show, which brought us some big laugh-out-loud moments during its run.
A Max spokesperson said in a statement:
“For two seasons creators Chuck Lorre and Nick Bakay and their hilarious cast, led by Sebastian Maniscalco, made us laugh while pulling back the curtain on the world of sports betting. We won’t be moving forward with a third season, but we are grateful to have worked with such a brilliant team on this laugh out loud comedy.”
You read that correctly: Bookie is a Chuck Lorre-created show. This just goes to show you that despite being one of the most influential and successful individuals in television history, even Chuck Lorre shows can get canceled. The news comes less than a month after Bookie dropped its season 2 finale on Jan. 30. The cancellation tops out the series’ run at 16 episodes.
Starring the very funny stand-up comedian Sebastian Maniscalco (whose standup you can find on Netflix), Bookie follows veteran bookie Danny Colavito as his business is nearly upended when sports gambling is legalized in Los Angeles. Now, in addition to navigating these new terms, he must also navigate his unstable clients as he tries to settle their debts. Did I mention he’s doing this while also placing numerous risky bets of his own? No wonder he's riddled with stress.
Maniscalco is hilarious as Danny, who openly tells us in the trailer that “Nothing pisses me off more than people.” Same, dude. I hear you. Propelling the series is the way he pulls his acerbic, grumpy nature into the spotlight and uses it to meander through the difficult relationships he manages with friends, family, and clients. He doesn’t have much of a filter and says what most of us think and feel. Audiences are gonna miss that candidness for sure.
Sebastian Maniscalco, who has acted in films such as Green Book, The Irishman, and Tag, spoke with Variety about building up his acting skills, saying he enjoyed when Lorre and Bakay laughed at his takes on set: “It validates what I’m doing is funny. Because as a comedian, I like the laughter. I like to hear what I’m doing is funny through the laughs. I’m getting used to playing off other actors. I’m learning a lot each day.”
Rounding out the cast alongside Maniscalco are Omar Dorsey (Queen Sugar) as Rayfield, Danny’s best friend and former NFL player, Vanessa Ferlito (NCIS: New Orleans) as Danny’s side-hustling sister Lorraine, Jorge Garcia (Lost) as reluctantly reformed drug dealer Hector, Rob Corddry (Ballers) as client-turned-co-conspirator Walt Dinty, Andrea Anders (That '90s Show) as Danny’s wife Sandra, Maxim Swinton (Fleishman is in Trouble) as Sandra’s son Anthony, and Selina Kaye as Ray’s on-again-off-again woman Janelle. It even featured the one and only Charlie Sheen, as well as Ray Romano, Laraine Newman, and Zach Braff as degenerate-gambler guest stars.
See? That’s funny stuff. Bookie always showed up with some great cameos, and those will be missed. Who knows what other big stars would’ve surprised us with a silly appearance later on down the road or what version of Charlie Sheen would’ve turned up in later seasons?
Bookie made headlines in season 1 for reuniting Lorre and Sheen, who had a falling out back during Two and a Half Men’s run. Sheen recurred in both seasons of Bookie, where he played a heightened version of himself — an experience that offered an opportunity for healing for both Sheen and Lorre.
Season 2 found Danny and Ray getting involved deeper with organized crime, learning firsthand how to shorten one’s lifespan in no time. It also found Ray a father, as Janelle got pregnant and moved into the guest house, creating more trouble than Ray could’ve ever bargained for at home. Season 3 would’ve no doubt pushed the duo over the edge as they slowly begin to discover there’s no way to easily back out of the life they’ve chosen for themselves. Now, though, we’ll never know what happens next. And judging from viewer comments all over Reddit, fans are bummed the series got axed. General consensus is that Bookie was seen and well loved and appreciated for its humorous, dialogue-driven inside look at life as a bookie who hates people, and who doesn't hide it well.
In just 16 short episodes, Bookie proved it has what it takes to become another multi-season hit; it just needs a shot. Unfortunately, Max has passed on that bet, but we can always hope another streamer will pick it up and continue the series. I just wouldn’t hold my breath.
Seasons 1 and 2 of Bookie are currently streaming on Max.