Widely billed as “the gay man’s answer to Girls,” HBO’s new comedy Looking premiered to a disappointing 338,000 viewers back in January, which immediately threw its future on the premium cable network into jeopardy. However, the network clearly likes what it’s seen so far from the comedy, which is about three gay men on the search for love in modern-day San Francisco.
Ratings are rarely the main factor in a channel like HBO choosing to axe a show, but once you factor in HBO Go and replays, Looking has been on the rise, with a score of 2 million weekly viewers. Plus, its most recent episode improved on the premiere with 519,000 viewers. More importantly, Looking has received a positive reception from critics, many of whom have praised the acting of the main cast members.
The show stars Jonathan Groff as Patrick, Frankie J. Alvarez as Agustin and Murray Bartlett as Dom. Along with the renewal comes news that Lauren Weedman (Dom’s roommate Doris), Raul Castillo (Patrick’s love interest Richie) and Russell Tovey (Patrick’s boss Kevin) have all been promoted from recurring to series regulars. Between Groff, known for his recurring role on the FOX show Glee, and Tovey, who rose to fame on the acclaimed British supernatural drama Being Human, HBO was likely also swayed by the star power of Looking‘s cast.
HBO’s rapidly growing comedy slate also includes dramedy Girls, returning for its fourth season in 2015, other returning favorites Veep and Getting On, Jack Black and Tim Robbins’ new political satire The Brink, Dwayne Johnson’s football-centric Ballers, a six-episode series with Emily Mortimer titled Doll & Em, and Mike Judge’s Silicon Valley (bowing this April).
Tell us, have you watched Looking, and if so, are you happy to hear that the show has been picked up for an additional string of episodes? Let us know in the comments section!