HBO swings the cancel hammer at an original series ahead of its third season

HBO has axed another series from its lineup. The cable giant has announced that How To With John Wilson, a comedy docuseries directed by John Wilson and produced by Nathan Fielder, will be ending with its third season.

The surprisingly poignant series was clearly a labor of love for Wilson, who mentioned feeling ‘melancholy’ over the series ending. Still, the series creator expressed gratitude for the opportunity to make 18 episodes, a feat he compares to a heist. “As we started work on season 3, I found it exciting to think of it as the last one,” Wilson said in a statement (via Variety):

“It ended up opening a lot of narrative possibilities that weren’t available to us before and gave us the freedom to try some really ambitious stuff. While a part of me would be happy to go on making ‘How To’ indefinitely, I take a lot of pride in trying to make the style and imagery feel surprising, and I would prefer to end the show while that’s still the case. Thematically, we also kind of reach a vanishing point by the finale, and it felt like a natural place to sign off.”

A trailer for the final season, which will be airing on the recently-renamed Max streamer, was also released. The short teaser features Wilson ‘wow’-ing over the various sights he takes in – including a strange toilet that seems more torture device than bidet, a Tibetan singing bowl, a pizza, and a man holding his breath for two minutes and forty seconds. The trailer also sets the casual, conversational tone of the series by showcasing some of the new interviewees that will be featured in the upcoming, final six episodes.

The logline for season 3 states that the new release “continues his heartfelt mission of self-discovery, exploration, and observation as he films the lives of his fellow New Yorkers while attempting to give everyday advice on six new deceptively simple and wildly random topics.” Some of the topics expected to be covered include an examination of bird watching, an exploration on how to find a public restroom, and the proper technique for cleaning ears.

The series, which had been renewed for season 3 back in February of last year, follows Wilson as he conducts man-on-the-street style interviews in New York City. The results of these conversations vary, with frequently unpredictable results. Fans of Fielder’s style of comedy would likely enjoy checking out the series thanks to its dadaist nature – much like Fielder, Wilson’s work finds absurdity in the ordinary.