HBO Max is putting a stop on original unscripted development after the Discovery merger, according to new reports.
According to Deadline, layoffs have hit HBO and HBO Max and they’re hitting the unscripted department pretty hard, in particular. As of recent weeks, development on all unscripted programs has been halted as Discovery plans to switch their programming focus to Discovery+, home to reality networks like TLC, HGTV, and OWN.
“Going forward, existing Max unscripted series will continue or premiere as planned and, if they are performing well, will stay on,” reads the report. “There will just be no new development in light of the large volume of non-fiction fare that will come from Discovery+ when the two services are merged next summer.”
RIght now, HBO Max is home to such unscripted originals like House of Ho, The Big Shot With Bethenny, FBOY Island, and Sweet Life: Los Angeles. Despite their unscripted originals having strong promise, none of the shows have really broken into the reality zeitgeist, which may be why Discovery is switching focus. Meanwhile, Discovery+ is already home to a slew of reality shows mainly due to owning cable network TLC.
