The Hollywood Reporter
The Other Two, the cult Max comedy about the inner workings of Hollywood, will conclude June 29 with its season three finale. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the ending comes following multiple staff complaints about creators and showrunners Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider over the course of the production, though several insiders say that there is no causal connection between the complaints and the decision to end with season three.
Multiple sources involved with The Other Two confirm Kelly and Schneider were the subject of complaints to human resources over behavior on set and in the writers room. These include allegations that Kelly verbally abused writers and overworked crew and claims that Schneider enabled his behavior.
According to sources, the production conducted a formal investigation into the behavior, during which Kelly and Schneider were not permitted on set for a period. Kelly and Schneider were formally cleared of wrongdoing and allowed to return.
Kelly declined to comment. Schneider could not be reached for comment by time of publication. MTV and Max declined comment beyond statements about the show’s conclusion.
The irony that a satire of ego, ambition and malice in the entertainment industry was allegedly plagued by the very things it was lampooning was not lost on those involved. “There’s a lot of Chris and Sarah in the show … I think a lot of their frustration comes from not being on-camera,” says one insider. “These are two people who started off as improvisers. This is a show about people who are hungering for fame. Their friends and colleagues became well-known. … It’s a lot like the show.” Adds another show source about the show’s toxic culture being an open secret in the industry: “Other writers tell stories about The Other Two writers’ rooms like other people tell ghost stories.”
Tina Fey seemingly nodded to Kelly and Schneider’s behavior in a March speech at the PEN America Literary Awards in which she jokes that The Other Two exec producer Lorne Michaels was partially responsible for conditioning the pair during their tenure on Saturday Night Live. “Nobody indulges writers like Lorne Michaels,” she said. “Lorne, you have unleashed an army of monsters into the world. You know it, I know it, and the crew of The Other Two knows it — oh I was supposed to change that. I was supposed to change that. That’s inappropriate. Oh well, it’s not livestreaming.”
Those involved with the production don’t assign equal responsibility. “As a team, they’ve been very destructive, but Chris is also mean to Sarah,” explains one The Other Two veteran. Agrees another production source: “Sarah is in a toxic professional relationship with him.”
The series, starring Drew Tarver and Helene Yorke, will conclude June 29 with a season three finale that was designed to serve as a series finale.
“It is bittersweet to say goodbye to the Dubek family after three seasons, but we always knew, both creatively and personally, that this was where we wanted to end their stories,” Kelly and Schneider said in a joint statement. “And because we are quite literally out of ways to humiliate Drew Tarver, so what’s the point? We are deeply grateful to everyone (gays) who watched the show, to Max for giving us a second home and life, and to our writers, producers and crew, who gave so much of their time, talent, and passion to this show over the last 45ish years. And finally, an enormous thank you to Heléne, Drew, Molly, Case, Wanda, Josh, Brandon, and everyone in our brilliant cast (except Ken) who all made this show better than it had any right to be, and who we will miss terribly (especially Ken). Long live ChaseDreams. #chasedreams #globsaregay #feet.”
Case Walker, Ken Marino, Molly Shannon, Brandon Scott Jones, Josh Segarra and Wanda Sykes round out the cast of the series, which was originally greenlit at Comedy Central but moved to the former HBO Max with its second and third seasons after the basic cable network exited the scripted originals business. MTV Entertainment Studios produces the comedy alongside Jax Media and Michaels’ Broadway Video.
“From the moment we met the Dubek family, we knew that we needed to bring this show to streaming as one of our very first and most signature Max originals,” said Suzanna Makkos, exec vp originals at Max. “We are so proud to have delivered a hilarious and poignant third and final season of The Other Two. With its creative and out-of-the-box commentary about the entertainment industry, Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider masterminded a staple in pop culture that continuously reached new heights and resonated with so many. While the series has come to its natural conclusion, we wish all the best for this wonderful cast and crew.”
Never a ratings breakout or awards contender, The Other Two had a loyal following in the industry given the show’s insider look at Hollywood. The series currently has a 97 percent rating among critics and 84 percent score with viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
—Lacey Rose contributed to this report
Source: Hollywood Reporter
