‘Looking’ season 3 renewal: Is there hope for Jonathan Groff series?

It’s not too often that we speak of HBO shows and renewal prospects, mostly for one reason: This is a network that often makes up their mind in advance about some of their shows. “Girls” and “Game of Thrones” constantly receive early renewals, and even shows like “True Detective” were ones you knew you’d be getting more of, but they were waiting to be pitched the story to make things official.

All of this is probably what makes the wait for “Looking” in particular all the more uncomfortable. This is a show that has a devoted following, and it is a well-written, heartfelt take on city life that is very different than anything else on TV. Also, Jonathan Groff is sensational, and perpetually overlooked in awards consideration. The problem here is that the viewer totals are not great at all, especially with its new timeslot for this past season. While this may not matter as much as with some other network shows (there is no advertising and therefore fewer need for demo numbers), you still have to figure out whether or not a particular show is bringing in subscribers. That is no easy task.

For now, we at least know that HBO President Michael Lombardo would like to have the show back. He told E! News that the comedy is a “personal favorite,” but said “we’ll see” when it comes to the prospects of it returning.

Our hope is this: Give it a final season of six to eight episodes. It’s clear that the ratings are not good enough to sustain a lengthy run, but also allow fans to have the ending they deserve. This is something that HBO was generous to do with “The Newsroom” and other shows, and they should do it here.

We’ll have some other news as it starts to come out, but for now head over here to get some other news on all we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: HBO.)