‘Julia’ Canceled at Max After 2 Seasons

Julia has been canceled at Max after two seasons. The Julia Child biographical series stars Sarah Lancashire as The French Chef star and David Hyde Pierce has her dutiful husband, Paul Child. Max canceled Our Flag Means Death, another of its original series, just the day before on January 9.

“We are so honored to have partnered with Chris Keyser, Daniel Goldfarb and their masterful creative team and dynamic cast, led by Sarah Lancashire, as they cooked up Julia,” a Max spokesperson said in a statement, per Variety. “Thanks to their beautiful work over two seasons of this heartful, sensual, and inspiring show, we can forever celebrate the incredible legacy of Julia Child.”

The eight-episode second season premiered in November 2023, with the Julia Season 2 finale coming out on December 21. Season 1 debuted on the streaming platform in March 2022 and was also comprised of eight episodes.

The period dramedy followed Child as she, her husband, and friends created the groundbreaking cooking show The French Chef. Season 1 tracked the show’s creation and rise to fame, and Season 2 showed how the success of the show transformed Child’s life and those in her orbit, for better or for worse.

Julia has TV legends both as characters and in its cast. In addition to Happy Valley star Lancashire and Pierce, the series also stars Pierce’s Frasier co-star, Bebe Neuwirth, Judith Light, Brittany Bradford, Fran Kranz, Fiona Glascott, Robert Joy, and Isabella Rossellini. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend creator and star Rachel Bloom joined the cast for Season 2. Additional guest stars include Jefferson Mays, Adriane Lenox, James Cromwell, and Erin Neufer.

The series may not have been a viral hit, but it was charming and entertaining and widely loved by critics and fans. Seasons 1 and 2 have a 96 percent combined approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with the average audience score being 90 percent. Season 2 has a 100 percent approval rating from critics and 89 percent audience score. Lancashire’s performance as the beloved cookbook author has been highly praised.

Set in 1960s Cambridge, Massachusetts, Julia gently but intelligently tackled issues of sexism and racism in the TV and publishing industries, as well as the Civil Rights and anti-war movements of the time. In Season 2, Julia and Paul and the TV network, WBGH, were investigated by the FBI. In addition to portraying The French Chef star, famous figures such as legendary book editor Blanche Knopf (played by Light) and feminist icon Betty Friedan (Tracee Chimo Pallero) were seen in the series.

Julia, Available now, Max