Hulu has canceled Mindy Kaling’s romantic comedy series Not Suitable for Work after just one season, leaving multiple romantic and employment cliffhangers unresolved. Warner Bros. Television plans to shop the nine-episode series to potential new homes as producers seek a new platform to continue the show.
Hulu Cancels Not Suitable for Work After One Season
The journey of Manhattan’s most ambitious Murray Hill residents has come to an abrupt halt at the streaming platform. Hulu opted not to renew the workplace comedy for a second season, closing the book on a freshman run that launched in June and spanned nine episodes. The cancellation also spells the end of the line for a notable roster of guest stars, leaving fans wondering about the aftermath of a steamy kiss between key characters.
Unresolved Cliffhangers and Career Limbo in Murray Hill
The freshman finale left its core quintet of professionally driven twentysomethings in precarious positions. Viewers watched AJ, played by Ella Hunt, and Davis, played by Will Angus, land in employment limbo alongside their romantic entanglements after they stood up to their arrogant boss Bill, portrayed by Jay Ellis. The two-episode closer wrapped up with multiple love triangles involving AJ, Josh, Davis, Abby, Kel, and Kel’s theater colleague, leaving narrative threads dangling.
Before the cancellation axe fell, creator Mindy Kaling expressed optimism about continuing the story. Our writers room has been up for Season 2, which is wonderful, she revealed in June.
Mindy Kaling Created the Murray Hill Series
The series, which was originally titled Murray Hill by Hulu, centered on five work-obsessed 20-somethings striving for professional success and, if they have time, personal happiness in Manhattan’s most glamorous neighborhood, Murray Hill. The ensemble cast featured Ella Hunt as AJ, an investment banker from Boston who moves to New York for a new job and begins living with her best friend, aspiring celebrity stylist Abby, played by Avantika. They live across the hall from male best friends Davis, who is AJ’s co-worker and has a crush on her; nepo-baby and young journalist Josh, played by Jack Martin; and aspiring actor and med school dropout Kel, played by Nicholas Duvernay. Jay Ellis rounded out the regular cast as Bill Gibson, AJ’s attractive boss at Fisher Stassen.
Not Suitable for Work is the latest casualty in the young adult arena at Hulu, which also recently passed on its pilots Buffy: New Sunnydale, Foster Dade, and Don’t Get High. The show’s cancellation arrived two months after the 20somethings romantic comedy ended its Season 1 run on the Disney streamer. The series earned an average grade of “B-” from TVLine readers when it premiered in June, and finished its run with a 54% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes alongside an 82% audience score on the website.
Victor Garber and Guest Stars Appeared Across Nine Episodes
The production featured a star-studded lineup of recurring guest stars throughout its nine episodes, including Victor Garber as host Wes Dryden; Greg Germann as Josh’s father, David Teitelbaum, who produces The Wes Dryden Show and is the chairman of a major media conglomerate; Judy Gold as Paula, a producer on the show; Stella Everett as Josh’s social worker girlfriend Vivian; Ego Nwodim as Kate Woodson, the Assistant Head of School at an exclusive, all-girls private school in Manhattan; Harry Richardson as movie star heartthrob Austin Blanchett; Constance Wu as celebrity stylist Vanessa Hsu; Laura Bell Bundy as AJ’s mom, Amy Pascarelli; May Hong as Jocelyn, an associate at Fisher Stassen; Bhavesh Patel as Dileep, the VP of Fisher Stassen; Emilia Suárez as Elena, an intern at The Wes Dryden Show; and Michael Benjamin Washington as Antoine, a landlord and aspiring dancer.
Behind the scenes, the series was created by Mindy Kaling, who executive produced alongside showrunner Charlie Grandy and 3 Arts Entertainment’s Howard Klein. Cast members shared their enthusiasm for the project during its initial release. Jack Martin stated that he wanted a role in Not Suitable for Work the minute he learned about the show, noting that he really wanted to be in it and just got really lucky after getting cast as Josh. Ella Hunt expressed that being part of the Mindy-verse was exciting to her after securing the role of AJ. Nicholas Duvernay shared that when he first read the pilot for the role of Kel, he thought it was hilarious and refreshing because a lot of the comedies put out nowadays are so angled at Gen Z to the point where it’s like scrolling on Instagram. Hulu released the official trailer for the series on May 8, racking up millions of views in just a couple of days.
