Bored to Death: Jonathan Ames Talks Cancellation, Season Four Plans

Not only is Jonathan Ames the creator, writer, and executive producer of HBO’s now-cancelled Bored to Death series, but he’s also the namesake of the show’s main character (as played by Jason Schwartzman). He’s understandably not happy about his show coming to an end.

Vulture caught up with Ames (the real guy) and asked him about the cancellation. The show creator says that he knew some bad news might be coming because, in the past, HBO has asked him to start working on the new season of Bored by November. That didn’t happen this time.

Of anything, Ames says that he’ll miss the camaraderie most of all. “We’d all get together for three months and get incredibly close. It was sort of like the circus life. And our friendship was somewhat based on this shared purpose, so it’s sad to lose that. When I told Ted Danson the news, he said, ‘I can’t believe we’re not going to get together and laugh for three months.’”

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He believes that the recent incest storyline didn’t have anything to do with the cancellation. He notes that ultimately HBO doesn’t “have a lot of room for their original programming on the schedule, and being on Monday nights was a problem. That’s never a good night for HBO, in the sense of traditional live viewership, since you’re going up against Two and a Half Men and Monday Night Football.”

Ames thinks that, based on critical reception and “non-traditional viewership” numbers (DVR, HBO Go, replays), the series performed very well.

The creator appreciates the fan support and attempts to save the show but notes, “I’m embarrassed. There are so many other important things out there in the world, but perhaps signing a petition is easy enough. I don’t know what the future holds.”

Ames isn’t sure if or how the series could continue in another form — a book, a movie, or a comic book — but has some ideas about what a fourth season would have looked like. He notes, “One of the things I wanted to explore was that as Jonathan became a more capable detective, we could increase the action and the slapstick and the adventures.”

What do you think? Would you like to see Bored to Death continue in another form? What would you like to see happen?

More about: Bored to Death, Bored to Death: canceled or renewed?

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