Every TV Show and Movie Removed From HBO Max (So Far)

The world of streaming has always been somewhat chaotic. It’s never been unusual for shows and films to jump from platform to platform as streaming licenses expire. But as more companies produce their own original content and keep the rights in-house, it’s happening less and less. And yet, the only word to describe the current state of HBO Max and its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery is chaos.

The spring 2022 merger of Warner Media (the parent company of Warner Bros., HBO, and HBO Max) and Discovery, Inc. (the home of most of your favorite non-scripted programming) has resulted in some of the most bizarre, and ultimately sad, choices to come out of Hollywood in years. And it’s all in the name of writing down costs as part of a post-merger restructuring. First, and perhaps most notably, the company shelved Batgirl while the highly anticipated DC film was in post-production. This naturally caused an uproar amongst fans. But then, TV shows and films slowly started disappearing from HBO Max, often without warning. Kids programming was hit first, and hit especially hard. Foreign series also started disappearing, including the Paste favorite Beartown.

While suddenly losing access to one’s favorite TV shows and movies is unfortunate, these moves arguably hurt HBO Max and its reputation more than it hurts us as viewers. The streaming platform, which features the HBO library, a handful of Cinemax series, programming from Studio Ghibli, original content created for HBO Max, and many popular films and licensed TV shows, had been on its way to becoming the best streaming service available (as our now-outdated list declared) because of the depth and breadth of its catalog. But over the last several months, Warner Bros. Discovery has been tearing it down piece by piece.

The most recent round of cuts included a number of series that are now bound for free ad-supported services—think Freevee, Tubi, Pluto, Roku Channel, etc.—or perhaps other paid streaming platforms if their respective studios are able to strike a new deal elsewhere. The list includes Raised by Wolves, The Nevers, Love Life, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Gordita Chronicles, The Garcias, Made for Love, Finding Magic Mike, FBOY Island, Head of the Class, and Legendary.

While all of these shows have their fans, none of them compare to Westworld, which was once a flagship HBO series but is now on the same train out of the station. The Emmy-winning sci-fi western from Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy was not what it once was when it was abruptly canceled following its fourth season, but the move was still shocking. Planned for five seasons, the show’s story is now unfinished. The fact that Westworld can be discarded as quickly as anything is a reminder that nothing is guaranteed in the world of streaming. That includes renewals. Minx, a critically acclaimed 1970s-set comedy about the first erotic magazine for women, was just one week out from finishing filming on Season 2 when HBO Max reversed its renewal and pulled it from the platform. The rights have reverted back to the studio that produces the series, Lionsgate, which is shopping Seasons 1 and 2 to other outlets.