Showtime Cancels Its Advertising-Themed Comedy, Happyish

Showtime’s Happyish will not be coming back.

Steve Coogan’s comedy series “Happyish” has been axed by Showtime after one season.

The Alan Partridge star played 44-year-old Thom Payne, whose life is thrown into crisis by the arrival of a younger boss who spouts digital catchphrases. Is he in need of a “rebranding”, as his mentor insists, or does he just have a “low joy ceiling”, as his corporate headhunter suggests?

The series was originally developed for the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. Bradley Whitford and Ellen Barkin joined as new cast members for the pilot reshoot. Airing Sundays before Penny terrible, Happyish ended its 10-episode run last month.

“Happyish” is the only Showtime original program to not receive a second season under Nevins despite his strong, early support for the project. The show was dealt a major blow when Hoffman suddenly died just weeks after the pilot was picked up to series in January 2014.

All ten episodes of the first series have aired, but Showtime has reportedly declined to make a second. Ratings continued to wane over the course of the season and by the time of the season (and now series) finale the audience had dwindled to 260K viewers.