HBO's 'Enlightened' Canceled

HBO has canceled the dark comedy Enlightened, starring co-creators Laura Dern and Mike White, after two critically praised, but largely unwatched seasons. Enlightened followed Amy Jellicoe (Dern), a businesswoman who has to rebuild her life after she suffers a breakdown.

For the show’s first season Dern received the Golden Globe for Best Actress—Television Series Musical or Comedy, beating out Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Laura Linney and Zooey Deschanel for the award. The show was also nominated for Best Series-—Musical or Comedy that year, but lost to Modern Family.

Unfortunately, Enlightened's award-season pedigree wasn't enough to ward off declining viewership. The second season premiere landed 300,000 viewers, while the season finale drew only 200,000, The New York Times reports.

“It was a very difficult decision,” HBO said in a statement. “We’re proud of the show and we look forward to working with Mike White and Laura Dern in the future.”

Enlightened fans who want more of Dern or White can always find them in some of their classic projects. In addition to creating Elightened, White penned the screenplays, and also appeared in, the classic Jack Black hits Orange County and School of Rock. Dern, meanwhile, will be back on the big screen in one of her most recognizable roles as Dr. Ellie Sattler when Jurassic Park 3D hits theaters on Apr. 5, 2013. —Hal Sundt

Get Uinterview's FREE iPhone App For Daily News Updates here.

Get the FREE Uinterview iPad app here and watch our videos anywhere.