Looking (TV series)

Looking
GenreComedy drama
Created byMichael Lannan
Based onLorimer
by Michael Lannan
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes18 plus special (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerKat Landsberg
Production locationSan Francisco
Cinematography
Editors
  • Jonathan Alberts
  • Andrew Dickler
Camera setupSingle
Running time30 minutes
86 minutes (2016 special)
Production companyFair Harbor Productions
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseJanuary 19, 2014 (2014-01-19) –
July 23, 2016 (2016-07-23)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Looking is an American comedy-drama television series which ran on HBO from January 19, 2014, to July 23, 2016. Created by Michael Lannan and produced by David Marshall Grant, Sarah Condon, and Andrew Haigh, it stars Jonathan Groff, Frankie J. Alvarez, Murray Bartlett, Lauren Weedman, Russell Tovey, and Raúl Castillo. The show follows the experiences of Patrick, Agustín, and Dom, three gay friends who live and work in modern-day San Francisco. It was the network's first series centered on the lives of gay men.[1]

Looking was critically acclaimed for its writing, direction, the performances of the ensemble and its fresh take on an LGBT-centric narrative. With ten of the show's eighteen episodes directed by Andrew Haigh, the show's naturalistic shooting style drew comparisons to Haigh's 2011 film Weekend and to the mumblecore genre of independent film.[2]

Despite its critical praise, its ratings never met network expectations, with just 298,000 viewers tuning in for its second-season finale.[3] The low ratings led to the show's cancellation after its second season. HBO ordered a one-time television film, Looking: The Movie, to serve as the series' finale, which premiered at the Frameline Film Festival on June 26, 2016, and aired on July 23, 2016, in the U.S. on HBO and on August 2, 2016, in the UK on Sky Atlantic.[4]

In 2019, The Guardian named Looking one of the "100 Greatest TV shows of the 21st century".[5] In 2022, Esquire ranked Looking #21 on the list of "The Best HBO Series of All Time".[6]

  1. ^ Lawson, Richard. "Why Looking Earned the Third Season It Isn't Getting". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  2. ^ Yoshida, Emily (January 12, 2015). "Shows about nothing: Togetherness and HBO's Sunday night mumblecore block". The Verge.
  3. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (March 25, 2015). "HBO to End Comedy Looking With Special". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  4. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 25, 2015). "HBO's 'Looking' Gets Finale Special – No Season 3". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference The Guardian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Esquire was invoked but never defined (see the help page).