Another Mindy Kaling show is getting the ax. Hulu will not move forward on a second season of “Not Suitable for Work,” the comedy created by Kaling that launched in June and ran for nine episodes, Variety reported exclusively on Monday. Warner Bros. TV, which produces the series, plans to shop it to potential new homes rather than let it die quietly.
Kaling executive produced the show with showrunner Charlie Grandy and 3 Arts Entertainment’s Howard Klein. The cast includes Ella Hunt, Avantika, Will Angus, Jack Martin, Nicholas Duvernay, and Jay Ellis. Per the logline, it centers on “work-obsessed 20-somethings striving for professional success and, if they have time, personal happiness in Manhattan’s most glamorous neighborhood, Murray Hill.” Recurring guests across the season included Victor Garber, Constance Wu, Ego Nwodim, and Laura Bell Bundy.
A Tough Year for a Hulu Comedy
Hunt starred as AJ, an investment banker from Boston who moves to New York for a new job and rooms with her best friend, aspiring celebrity stylist Abby (Avantika), who lives across the hall from their male pals Davis (Angus), Josh (Martin), and Kel (Duvernay). “Not Suitable for Work” was produced under Kaling’s Kaling International label in association with Warner Bros. TV, where both Kaling and Grandy hold overall deals.
“Glimmers of a more biting, memorable take on young people juggling jobs and love in New York City throughout the nine-episode season.” — Variety on “Not Suitable for Work”
The show marked Kaling’s first sole creator credit since “The Mindy Project,” which ran three seasons on Fox before moving to Hulu for another three as one of the streamer’s earliest original hits. She followed that with Netflix’s “Never Have I Ever,” HBO Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” and Netflix’s “Running Point,” which has already been renewed for a third season. Variety’s Alison Herman was lukewarm on the new series in her review, though she saw flashes of a sharper show buried in the season.
Why It Matters
Kaling has become one of the most prolific comedy showrunners in streaming, so a high-profile miss on Hulu is worth watching. It’s a reminder that even proven creators can stumble with a new ensemble — and that streamers are quicker than ever to cut their losses after a single season. But the fact that Warner Bros. TV is actively shopping the series means “Not Suitable for Work” isn’t necessarily over. Given how often canceled shows find second lives on rival platforms, this Murray Hill crew may still get another shot.
