HBO Max Axing 36 Titles, Including 20 Originals
The changes continue at Warner Bros. Discovery as it has been reported that HBO Max will remove 36 titles, including 20 originals, from streaming as early as this week.
According to Variety, the decision was made due to the upcoming merger of the HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming services. The company is looking to streamline its services in addition to cutting costs. HBO Max has dropped several titles over the past few weeks, including several Warner Bros. movies and HBO TV shows such as Camping, Vinyl, Mrs. Fletcher, and Run.
The latest announcement marks the most significant removal of titles so far, with 20 originals set to be taken off the platform, including teen drama Generation, animated series Summer Camp Island, and holiday-themed dating show 12 Dates of Christmas. There is also said to be a “select group of Sesame Street specials” that will leave the streamer, as well as seven acquired titles, including Mia’s Magic Playground and The Ollie & Moon Show.
“As we work toward bringing our content catalogs together under one platform, we will be making changes to the content offering available on both HBO Max and discovery+,” HBO Max said in a statement (via Variety). “That will include the removal of some content from both platforms.”
As the news broke, several creators took to social media to share their dismay, including author Hamish Steele, creator of Netflix’s animated series DEAD END: Paranormal Park. “What’s happening at HBO Max is so scary from a creator perspective?” Steele tweeted. “Like making a show for a streamer, you rarely get a chance for a physical release, or for it to air anywhere else, and being reminded they can just delete it from existence, all your work, your portfolio, awful!”
What’s happening at HBO Max is so scary from a creator perspective? Like making a show for a streamer, you rarely get a chance for a physical release, or for it to air anywhere else, and being reminded they can just delete it from existence, all your work, your portfolio, awful!
— FlameCon Table A10 | Hamish Steele (@hamishsteele) August 18, 2022
Meanwhile, Julia Pot, the creator of HBO Max’s Summer Camp Island, said that the makers weren’t provided much reasoning for the move. “We worked for 5 years to make 100 episodes of animation,” Pot wrote. “We worked late into the night, we let ourselves go, we were a family of hard working artists who wanted to make something beautiful, and HBO MAX just pulled them all like we were nothing. Animation is not nothing!”
and we worked through the pandemic to make 20 linear episodes that are our most beautiful work yet. I cannot wait for you to see them. YOU WILL SEE THEM! I will not rest!
— Julia Pott (@juliapott) August 18, 2022
Below is the list of titles to be removed from the streamer.
HBO Max Originals
12 Dates of Christmas
About Last Night
Aquaman: King of Atlantis
Close Enough
Ellen’s Next Great Designer
Esme & Roy
The Fungies!
Generation Hustle
Generation
Infinity Train
Little Ellen
My Mom, Your Dad
Odo
Ravi Patel’s Pursuit of Happiness
Summer Camp Island
The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo
The Runaway Bunny
Theodosia
Tig n’ Seek
Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs
HBO Originals
My Dinner with Herve
Share
Cartoon Network
Dodo
Elliott From Earth
Mao Mao, Heroes of Pure Heart
Mighty Magiswords
OK K.O.! – Let’s Be Heroes
Uncle Grandpa
Victor and Valentino
Acquired Titles
Detention Adventure
Messy Goes to Okido
Mia’s Magic Playground
The Ollie & Moon Show
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures
Make It Big, Make It Small
Squish
