‘Minx’ Jumps to Starz After Being Canceled at HBO Max – But Is That Enough? (2024)

Minx is back, baby! STARZ has revived the comedy series after it was axed as a result of David Zaslav’s controversial cost-cutting measures at HBO.

The network has picked up the first two seasons of the comedy, meaning they will exclusively air the second season and will be adding the first season (which premiered last year) to their library, following its sudden removal from HBO Max.

Showrunner Ellen Rapoport said in a statement, “I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the STARZ family, and for the opportunity to introduce Minx to a brand new audience.”

She added, “We’ve found the perfect home. Our writers, cast and crew have created something truly special in Season 2, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”

Jeffrey Hirsch, president and CEO of STARZ, echoed Rapoport’s words. He stated that the show is “a perfect fit” for their brand, citing their “dedication to narratives by, about and for women.”

“We are so proud of our beloved Minx and are thrilled that it has a wonderful new home on STARZ. That audiences will be able to watch Ellen and our cast’s amazing new season two as well as [a] rewatch or discover season one for the first time has us jumping for joy and thanking our lucky STARZ,” shared executive producer Paul Feig.

Fans were stoked to hear of the show’s new home, with one excited fan writing, “Real TV is coming back!”

“This is really good news. Minx improved so much over the course of its first season, and it really deserves the chance to keep evolving,” wrote TV critic Jedy Berman.

However, there are a few downfalls. Writer Candice Frederick tweeted that the series was “meh” and called for more diverse shows to receive the same treatment. “Can Starz also pick up The Gordita Chronicles or other shows by poc that were discarded by HBO Max? Minx is very meh and white, unless they’re going to somehow make it better and.. less white,” she wrote.

TV critic Nina Metz also called the show “meh” and asked for future seasons to be more “coherent” in their “ideas about feminism.”

Another major set-back is that Starz has far less viewership than HBO Max, and some fans have said that they won’t pay for a Starz subscription. In August 2022, The Hollywood Reporter stated that Starz’ streaming service had a mere 26.3 million subscribers, compared to Warner Bros. nearly 95 million subscribers across HBO Max and Discovery+ (per Variety‘s November 2022 reporting).

Minx, which premiered in March 2022, is set in 1970s Los Angeles and follows a young feminist Joyce (Ophelia Lovibond) who teams up with publisher (Jake Johnson) to create the first erotic magazine for women. The first season premiered to high critical reception and gathered a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. But audiences were less impressed, giving the show a 39% on the same platform. The comedy series was quickly renewed in May, one month after the first season finished airing. However, it was swiftly canceled in December — during production on Season 2 — and subsequently removed from the platform.

Many have criticized HBO Max for removing content from the streamer for tax write-offs, given that the streamer has unabashedly sought between $2.8 and $3.5 billion as a result of this initiative. Some feel as though they are setting a precedent for other streaming platforms as AMC has quickly followed in their lead, seeking $400 million in write-offs.

Here’s hoping that Minx is more successful in its new home than was, given that the show was canceled by Netflix and revived by HBO, before being canceled again by the Warner Bros. streamer after one season.