HBO Max has canceled ‘Duster’ after one season despite strong reviews.
After a long build-up and a well-received debut season, HBO Max has decided not to move forward with a second season of its 1970s–set crime drama Duster.
Created by J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan under Bad Robot and TinkerToy Productions for Warner Bros. Television, the series premiered its eight-episode run less than a week before the cancellation announcement, leaving viewers and the creative team disappointed.
Strong Reviews, Modest Buzz
Critics and audiences alike responded positively to Duster, with the show earning a 92% critics’ score and an 83% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fans praised the gripping tension, period detail, and strong performances—particularly from Josh Holloway as the hardened getaway driver and Rachel Hilson as Nina, the first Black female FBI agent leading a high-stakes undercover mission.
Despite these accolades, the series struggled to attract a broader audience or generate significant social media chatter.
While Duster remained in HBO Max’s daily Top 10 viewing list, it failed to make Nielsen’s Top 10 for streaming originals and lingered at the very bottom of Luminate’s weekly Top 50 list during its fourth week.
Behind the Scenes and Business Realities Duster had been in development since April 2020, reflecting Warner Bros. and Bad Robot’s long-term investment in a richly detailed crime thriller set against the backdrop of early-1970s America.
The show reunited Lost co-creator/executive producer J.J. Abrams with Lost star Josh Holloway, aiming to tap into the chemistry that made their earlier collaboration a hit.
However, because production wrapped some time ago, cast and crew option periods had expired before renewal discussions could gain momentum—a fairly common scenario for HBO Max projects.
Sensing trouble, Warner Bros. Television and Bad Robot quietly pitched Duster to other streaming platforms, hoping a new home might extend the show’s life.
Those efforts ultimately came to nothing, as no other service opted to pick up the series.
With HBO Max choosing to focus its resources elsewhere, the cancellation leaves The Pitt as the sole remaining original series on the platform.
Official Statements
HBO Max released a gracious statement thanking the creators, cast, and crew:
“While HBO Max will not be moving forward with a second season of ##Duster, we are so grateful to have had the chance to work with the amazingly talented co-creators J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, and our partners at Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television.
We are tremendously proud of this series led by Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson and we thank them along with our cast and crew for their incredible collaboration and partnership.”
Warner Bros. Television echoed those sentiments, praising the show’s “thrilling, multi-dimensional crime drama with textured characters” and expressing hope that Jim and Nina’s story might live on elsewhere.
Cast and Crew Highlights
Beyond Holloway and Hilson, the ensemble included Keith David, Sydney Elisabeth, Greg Grunberg, Camille Guaty, Asivak Koostachin, Adriana Aluna Martinez, and Benjamin Charles Watson.
The series’ first two episodes were penned by Abrams and Morgan, directed and executive produced by Steph Green, who helped establish the show’s gritty yet stylish tone.
Looking Ahead
Though Duster won’t return to HBO Max, its mix of strong performances and classic heist thrills may yet find a second life on another platform or in syndication.
For now, fans will have to savor the single season that made a compelling, if all-too-brief, trip back to the turbulent streets of 1972 America.
