Hulu has made the decision to cancel ‘The Other Black Girl,’ based on Zakiya Dalila Harris’s novel of the same name, following its debut season, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
The show, which garnered attention for its satirical take on the publishing industry, was first announced in April 2020 and gained momentum with Tara Duncan’s involvement as president of Disney’s BIPOC-focused studio, Onyx Collective.
The series revolves around Nella, an editorial assistant who grapples with being the sole Black woman in her company. However, her world is turned upside down when Hazel, another Black woman from Harlem, joins the team and quickly becomes a rising star. As Hazel’s success soars, Nella finds herself spiraling into a disconcerting web of events, leading her to uncover a sinister secret within the company.
The ensemble cast included Sinclair Daniel, Ashleigh Murray, Brittany Adebumola, Hunter Parrish, Bellamy Young, Eric McCormack, and Garcelle Beauvais.
Despite a strong start with its 10-episode run premiering to critical acclaim in September, boasting an 86 percent rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, audience reception appears to have fallen short, landing at a tepid 50 percent approval. Originally helmed by showrunner Danielle Henderson, the series saw a change in leadership with Jordan Reddout and Gus Hickey taking over.
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In an interview with THR last year, post-writers’ strike, Reddout and Hickey expressed hopes for a second season, citing ongoing discussions and excitement about potential storylines.
However, ‘The Other Black Girl’ now joins a list of recent cancellations at Hulu, including ‘Death and Other Details,’ ‘This Fool,’ ‘The Great,’ and ‘How I Met Your Father.’ This move aligns with industry trends as streaming platforms reassess their content strategies amidst the evolving landscape of viewer preferences and production costs.
For Onyx Collective, this marks the first cancellation under the Disney umbrella, contrasting with renewals for ‘Reasonable Doubt’ and ‘Unprisoned,’ alongside the upcoming debut of ‘How to Die Alone.’ The fate of other Hulu originals like ‘Life and Beth,’ ‘Koala Man,’ ‘Ramy,’ and ‘The Orville’ remains pending, reflecting the ongoing flux in the streaming market.