Happy news! HBO isn’t the love-’em-and-leave-’em type. The progressive cable network has announced plans to continue its relationship with the zeitgeist-y, gay-themed dramedy Looking for a second season.
The series about a group of ethnically-diverse gay friends in San Francisco debuted to mostly strong reviews, but initially struggled for ratings when it premiered in January to 338,000 viewers. After dividing much of the LGBT communities into two very vocal corners — “I love it” or the whiny “The show doesn’t reflect my life and should be canceled” — the February 23 episode scored the series’ highest ratings yet with 519,000 viewers watching. Like many other HBO series, Looking has drawn its greatest audience in gross views, which includes original broadcasts, replays, On Demand and HBO Go. Combing all outlets, the series is being seen by approximately two million viewers each week. Take that, haters!
To its credit, HBO has a long history of supporting unconventional, cleverly-written shows from very creative people, such as creators Michael Lannan and Andrew Haigh. And if you haven’t seen Haigh’s brilliant gay romance Weekend, you need to take a long lunch break and watch it on Netflix right now.
In addition to the second season pick-up, actors Raul Castillo (Richie), Russell Tovey (Kevin) and Lauren Weedman (Doris), have been bumped up to series regular status. Production for season two is scheduled to begin later this year in San Francisco.
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Faulk
Yes, so glad to hear this cause i love Looking.
robho3
I am very surprised. I guess when you call 8 episodes a season its easier to get 2.
Cam
Not a huge fan but glad that a show with openly gay actors and gay subject matter was picked up. Thanks HBO.
Arkansassy
Glad to hear Doris, Ritchie and Kevin will be series regulars. Now if they can just get rid of Patrick, the show will be watchable.
SteveDenver
Great for those of us who really enjoy this show.
Now where are all the bitchy bitches bitching? They contribute so much to internet hits when they click on the article and leave a comment.
Faulk
@Arkansassy:
But i love Patrick, he is childish and does many stupid things but so does everyone… I don’t want him to go.
Cam
@SteveDenver:
I love how anybody who doesn’t like something is a bitchy bitch. It’s idiotic. There are some serious holes in the show, some of the characters are two dimensional in my opinion, the background doesn’t make sense for the two main characters and one of the plotlines is just plain dumb.
I like that a gay show with openly gay actors is being picked up, but the days where just being gay was enough to have everybody fawn all over a show for it’s “Bravery” are long gone. Sorry if my opinion, after watching every episode is too “Bitchy” for you.
B Damion
@Cam…I cannot believe that I am typing this but, I agree with you.
The entire season so far has felt as though I have been putting the first episode on pause for a bathroom break etc…and then hitting play when I finally have some time to sit down and continue watching. Lmao…I’m saying… come on writers…now that you have been given a second chance maybe think about extending the epi’s to a full hour at the very least.
Otherwise, the show seems to be growing on me now.
Smile!
Cam
@B Damion:
I am sorry to have given your world view a shake by saying something you agree with. I’ll try to do better next time. 😉
MarionPaige
When you consider that that idiot Bill Maher is in his (what?) tenth season on HBO, Looking should have been renewed for 9 seasons. Nobody in America likes Bill Maher, the guy kicked off of national tv because of his 911 comments.
The thing that is clearly not working on Looking is the show’s focus on Jonathan Groff’s character. The production hopefully will remedy this in season 2
MarionPaige
it also wouldn’t hurt if there just happened to be a zombie outbreak in San Francisco in Season 2 that had our gang of friends foraging around post-apocalyptic San Franciso searching for food, water and any sexually active non-infected guys left alive.
Arkansassy
@Faulk:
Sorry, he must. I might like the idea of the character but he was terribly miscast. If Patrick was less obviously attractive, a little more nerdy and awkward, I’d buy it. But Groff is too attractive for the role and he can’t sell the character. For the second season they need to either redevelop his character into something Groff can play, or get rid of him.
B Damion
Awww @Cam..Cam.how sweet.
Smile.
Faulk
@Arkansassy:
Hmm, i don’t think that he is that attractive, i find him rather cute, but thats only cause of his stupid actions and maybe cause he reminds me of mine stupid actions i did…
But why do you want him nerdy? Cause he is a Game-Designer?
Apparatus
Please, God, no. Stopped watching a couple after last week’s episode. I want a GOOD show, not just a gay show, so I cannot support this crap just because it stars gay characters.
Darling Nikki
I disagree with Queerty’s analysis (shocking right?)
This is NOT a cleverly written show. It’s poorly written and fleshed out. Once again, I agree with @Cam.
As for the “the whiny “The show doesn’t reflect my life and should be canceled,” camp, that’s not been the majority of the criticism.
Queerty is obviously paid for shilling the show and thus has to negate any rational criticism.
I might watch the second season. Especially that they have elevated Raul Castillo and Russell Tovey to full status.
Just get rid of the Patrick/Augustin characters. They’re cardboard lazy shorthand stock characters that are just filler. Queerty fessed up to that recently in one of their shill posts.
Sauja32
Cam, I don’t know that anyone was specifically saying that all people who don’t like the show are bitchy bitches. I think that comment was being held more for people like, well…you can find them in the comments.
Don’t like it? Awesome. Don’t watch it. OR alternatively, do watch it. And then say something intelligent (or at least thoughtful) about it. Like Cam does.
For the record, I don’t agree with Cam about the show itself. I think it’s actually pretty beautifully done–a show that has patience with its own storylines and allows a naturalistic pace and development. I also see a lot of my younger self in Patrick (I’m not saying that’s a good thing or that the character is likeable), so while I get that people are frustrated watching him, I find it really interesting. What I DO agree about is that we don’t need to call every show about gays “brave.” I don’t like Looking because it’s some sort of revelation. I just like the characters and the storytelling.
alanj
This is very good news.
Can the second series have episodes that are longer than a half hour?
redcarpet
Yay! I just hope they order at least 13 episodes though. 8 is way too light. And they need to be full 30 minute episodes, not this 20 minute stuff.
All you wishing it would be canceled: Fuck You mother fuckers! You could just not like or watch the show, but no, you have to make sure it’s removed from the air, and with lots of righteous indignation. Again, fuck you mother fuckers!
Stache1
@redcarpet: I second that!
Jeremy Kinser
@Darling Nikki:
Queerty is NOT being paid by HBO to write about Looking. Many of us just happen to appreciate the show, as do many of our readers, which is the reason we continue to write about the series.
Mdterp01
I was one of those critical of the show in the beginning due to how boring I find it. Call me a bitchy bitch or whatever I really could care less. I’m entitled to my opinion and you can go kick rocks with your bare feet.
Anyway, I will say that the past two episodes I actually enjoyed. It was actually my boyfriend who wanted to watch a couple episodes ago because he hadn’t seen it yet. I had basically given up on it. The 30 minute one that focused solely on Patrick and Richie I liked. I really like Richie and love how he put Augustine in his place on Sunday. Richie has characteristics that remind me of my boyfriend in terms of his masculinity, mannerisms, openness, but also the ability to shut your ass down if you get out of line. I love how Augustine cowered like a little p**sy when Richie got in his face. I know there are a lot of people pushing for Patrick to hook up with his boss and all them ears he got, but I like Patrick and Richie. If the show keeps up like the past two episodes I will be more inclined to stay invested.
motivateme
Jeremy Kinser:
LOOKING – is a gay show and is set in the pros and cons of gay lifestyles and life living set in city of San Fransico. Nevertheless, be it age bounded from 18 – 100 whatever bla bla bla… my problem is with the visual i can see what the writer and director is trying to show but well…the visual shows a mature outlook but actors that play the characters look like a gay actors that plau old GAY males and is like portraying the looks of the Writer and the Director in the scenes as you can see in their appearances mature aged…it just seems to me that it would be a GOLD winner if they kind of let the boys look more their own age and let them create the roles Im sure it will go GOLD all the way to making 13 maybe 14 seasons or even more seasons than QUEER AS FOLKS i mean when you look at Jonathan Groff for example he looks his age and Kudos to that….but when i look at the other casts like Raul and the others with their beards it looks stuck in time of the 80s on a young mature ager who happen to be living well in the 21st century….thats my only thing i really wanted to express about LOOKING to you Jeremy I love watching i get what the storylines are about but for me it just missing something and i just cant put my finger on it at the moment but i wanted to share that with you about LOOKING I am very PROUD of HBO to supporting this series i really do but i just cant stop feeling that there is something that is just missing its like a time has walked back into the 80s but portraying in the 21st century….i just dont know how to explain it but i am sure it is missing that extra quality to make it more than Queer As Folks ever was….maybe it just needs moer raunchy gay sex scenes in it now and again or even a nice making out session to make it more meaningful romantic and enticing nut i do know there is definately something that is missing to give it the GOLD i just cant pick it maybe you can Jeremy….Cheers from New Zealand guys!
damianp
Michael Lannan, JC Lee & John Hoffman, creator and writers of HBO’s “Looking” talk season 2 on Empowerme.tv ‘s “Boys In Tech”. http://bit.ly/1frV0YM
Persa
I think not liking ANY show is totally fine. We all have different tastes.
I think taking the time to log into a website solely to trash a show that you hate and don’t watch borders on bitchy or at least “bitching”.
It’s like walking into all the restaurant you don’t like, sitting down, waiting for the waiter only to tell him how much you hate the food, the decor, the ambiance, his uniform and the way he said “My name is Mike”
There are so many shows that I can’t stand and yet I’ve never once logged onto a blog just to let everyone in that thread know how much I dislike the show. I just ignore posts about things I can’t stand and I don’t watch shows I don’t like.
I don’t actually mind if everyone else likes something I don’t like and I don’t feel the need to tell people who like something why the thing they like is terrible.
So I think that is why folks see SOME of the repeated comments about Looking as bitching. It’s like you’re complaining that the the show exists AND that other people seem to like it.
There are hundreds of shows on TV and hundreds of posts on various blogs about those shows.
No need to rain on folks parade just for the hell of it.
alanj
@Persa:
I agree with you, there are a couple of shows that get regular coverage on this site that i just don’t like, and I’ve really tried, however I don’t feel the need to go into the posts and trash them. Each to his own.
CHOAM88
I like the show. However, I do feel that there are issues with it. Firstly I think that they are trying to do too much with too little. They are trying to authentically represent the g experience in thw lgbt(qia?) experience which any show would have issues attempting. To add to that, they have 8 half hr time slots to tackle everythjng: plot development, character development, social issues. I feel like they’ve barely developed the “series regulars” they have and now want to lock in more? The thing I like about British tv is that there are few filler episodes or extraneous characters. Sherlock is 3 1 hour episodes per season and has two main characters and they’ve managed to develop their characters. With every episode of looking that I watch, I get to the end feeling like I’ve only watched till the first commercial break. I also feel like most of the characters are stock characters(the aging insecure guy who isn’t certain he’s the hottest guy in the room any more, patrick and his search for love and approval and then augustines whole starving artist shtick) It will be fun to see how the show develops, but as of now I’m in the middle.
MarionPaige
When a production proclaims in its media blitz that it’s gonna be an authentic look at gay life, it is pretty much inviting everyone gay to chime in on whether or not that claim is warranted. All of the bad comments about Looking are pretty much the fault of the production and the way the show was advertised.
Looking is a scripted tv show with actors reading lines, it can’t possibly be an authentic look at gay life unless gay people go through life with scripts and production crews.
ronniebs
@Sauja32:
Sauja32, I agree with you entirely. I’m way past 30 but Patrick reminds me so much of myself when I was younger, both good & bad. The conversations on the show also sound similar to my own life, though mine are not as well-written. The thing is the gay community is a varied group & there’s no way to please everyone. I think the haters of the show also helped get it renewed because they’re very vocal. Love it or hate it, the show has become water-cooler piece, which is what HBO is known for.
darkorient
What @persa and @redcarpet said. It’s fine if you don’t like it, why do you have to go as far as wishing it failing? Some people are just pure evil.
Yay! Now give me a hot Southeast Asian guy as one of the characters and I’ll be happy foreign fan!
Cam
I still think it is weird that there seems to be a desperation to explain people not liking the show because “It isn’t like their lives”.
Lots of people saw and admired the movie “Precious” who were not single African American girls who were raped by their fathers and had a special needs child.
Lots of people like the movie “The Avengers” who aren’t superheroes. Lots of people liked the show talent contest shows who don’t have talent etc…
Sometimes somepeople just don’t like a show because they don’t think it is well done. Perhaps the other way to look at it isn’t, are the people who don’t like it not giving it a chance because it isn’t like their own lives, but rather, are the people who like it excusing some faults because they DO identify with it? Nothing wrong with that, but it is just as likely isn’t it?
Niall
@Darling Nikki: It’s a gay show featuring gay characters, why should Queerty a gay oriented site have to be paid to report it? If anything it’s the focus on shows like Girls that should be questioned since that has barely any gay content.
CCTR
Exciting news, looking forward to a second season!
Darling Nikki
I guess I am blocked now from ever responding to any articles. I did not use foul or vulgar language.
Darling Nikki
@Niall I tried to respond to you but the moderator has blocked my response, thus illustrating the truth of what I first suggested, that is, if this makes it through the censor.
Cam
@Darling Nikki:
Nikki, The filter Queerty uses has some odd words it filters out. It filters out the word rac-ist but not f**k, as****e, f*g, it filters cr*p, but not the word sh*t.
So you may have been filtered because of a word that you would not expect.
Hank
Good to know that the series will continue.
The initiative for more shows like that is always great.
wllmopl4
I love the show and I’m happy to see it evolve into something. I think the writers are going to give us everything we need in season 2 hopefully it last for more than 3 or 4 seasons.