Fox sportscaster Joe Buck believes that his sports talk show is dead in the water.

The Joe Buck Live series got off to a bad start last June when Howard Stern’s sidekick, Artie Lange, essentially hijacked the show and trashed the host. Lange was subsequently banned from appearing on HBO Sports.

Three episodes of Joe Buck Live have aired and Buck told a St. Louis radio station (1380 AM) that he doesn’t expect the show to return. He said, “There’s only another nine months on that contract anyway, so I don’t think it’s that big of a deal either way.” He says that he won’t miss it because, “There was a lot more behind the scenes, a lot more effort and hassle than I ever expected.”

He tells Deadspin, “HBO told me early this week that the network was steering away from talk shows going forward. That’s bad news when you have a talk show. It was a great opportunity and I enjoyed every minute of it. Yes, even those minutes in the first show. The people there could not be better to work with, and the experience I got doing a live show is invaluable. From Favre to Mayweather we had great guests, a lot of fun, and found a returning audience in a short time. I am not unrealistic though. If HBO loved the show, I am sure somehow it would continue. That’s OK. I am a big boy.”

Buck says that he’s in talks with Fox about doing a similar program for them.

UPDATE: HBO has now officially cancelled Joe Buck Live. In a statement, HBO president Ross Greenburg said, “Joe Buck is one of the premier broadcasters in our industry. It was a privilege to work with him at HBO. Joe worked tirelessly on the three shows, and we appreciate his professionalism and immense talent. We have made the decision not to continue his talk show, and wish him all the best and continued success with his wide array of responsibilities at Fox Sports.”

What do you think? Are you sorry to see Joe Buck Live go? Was it worth watching?