The Other Two, a show that is nearing the end of one of the most imaginative and gritty seasons of comedic television shows in recent memory, will not be rerun. This is not another austerity measure from David Zaslav. The show ends where creators Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider “always knew” they “wanted to end.”
Comedian Chris Redd is attacked
As if this wasn’t already devastating news for those who loved the series, which followed it from its beginnings in the wastelands of Comedy Central to its resurgence on HBO Max, where it finally captured an audience, notes, that creators Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider have been the subject of numerous staff complaints, accusing Kelly of berating writers and Schneider of endorsing him. Given all the parodies of such behavior in the series, the story paints an ironic portrait of the creators. “There’s a lot of Chris and Sarah on the show,” said a source, describing them as “improvisers” and the show about “people starving for fame” because “their friends and peers became known.”
“It’s very similar to the show.”
The complaints led to a formal investigation, which allegedly resulted in Kelly and Schneider being banned from the set. Both were cleared of wrongdoing, although their behavior has become folklore in the industry. “Writers tell stories about The Other Two writers’ rooms the way other people tell ghost stories,” a source said. But it’s not like that secret was it. At the PEN America Literary Awards in March, Tina Fey hinted at that open secret, accusing Kelly and Schneider’s old SNL boss Lorne Michaels of encouraging such an environment. “Nobody spoils writers like Lorne Michaels,” she said. “Lorne, you unleashed an army of monsters upon the world. You know it, I know it, and The Other Two crew knows it – oh I should change that.”
But that’s not why the show ends. Kelly and Schneider said they wanted to finish the show in three seasons. However, speaking to AV Club in March, they said they were “not sure” about another season. “We have not decided yet. We could go either way. The season stands for itself, but we could always go on. No decision.”
For the time being, however, they are sticking with the three-season declaration. “It’s bittersweet to say goodbye to the Dubek family after three seasons, but we always knew, both creatively and personally, that we wanted to end their stories here,” Kelly and Schneider said in a joint statement. “And since we literally have no way of humiliating Drew Tarver, what’s the point? We are deeply grateful to everyone (gay people) who watched the show, Max for giving us a second home and life, and our writers, producers and crew who put so much time, talent and passion into this show put in over the past 45 years.”
It’s a shame to end the show in the midst of such ugly reports. “The Other Two” was undoubtedly one of the funniest and wittiest comedies on television, always hitting the moment with succinct observations about modern culture. That it was ostensibly produced under the conditions mocked in the series is another disappointment in an entertainment landscape riddled with them.
The final episode of The Other Two will air on June 29th.