Happyish creator Shalom Auslander originally praised Coogan’s talents, saying: ‘Steve’s range is astounding – he is a comedy legend, a gifted satirist, and he possesses the unique combination of talents this role demands.’.
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Showtime has canceled its comedy Happyish, the network has confirmed.
Still, “Happyish” was eventually heavily praised by Showtime president David Nevins. The new cast was filled out by Bradley Whitford and Ellen Barkin. It was ordered to pilot in summer 2013 with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kathryn Hahn as the leads. The show was dealt a major blow when Hoffman suddenly died just weeks after the pilot was picked up to series in January 2014.
“Happyish” is the only Showtime original program to not receive a second season under Nevins despite his strong, early support for the project. The executive was sitting on five additional episodes (of 10) that Auslander already had written, and he found himself hooked.
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“If it had just been a pilot, I probably would have thrown in the towel”, the CEO told The Hollywood Reporter in April. But it’s been frustrating that I haven’t launched more comedies, and it’s been an area of focus.
