Why Was 'The Comeback' Canceled In 2005? Season 2 Of HBO Series Premieres Nov. 9

Now that’s what you call a comeback! After nine long years of crossing our fingers and toes, our persistent wishing has finally paid off! The Comeback” will be returning to HBO for a second season on Sunday, Nov. 9.

According to TVLine, “The Comeback” was canceled by HBO on Sept. 21, 2005 after receiving low ratings. In addition to unimpressive scores, the “bittersweet comedy” created by Michael Patrick King also had it’s fair share of critics.

The New York Times gave the sitcom a lukewarm assessment, referring to it as “interesting” but also calling “The Comeback” out for its lack of originality. “The dialogue is fearlessly deadpan, but the topic is not exactly fresh,” the 2005 review stated.

Against all odds, “The Comeback” has returned (nearly a decade later) for another whirl at making us laugh. And this time the show won’t have the pressure of ratings breathing down its neck.

“I think HBO is in a different place than it was nine years ago, and we had the room to bring it back. The future of the network doesn’t depend on this show.... Everybody was just ready,” Executive Vice President of Programming Casey Bloys revealed.

The “limited series” installment, which stars Lisa Kudrow as fame-seeking veteran actress Valerie Cherish, will pick up 10 years later (from when the show concluded in 2005) with the beloved protagonist still trying to find her place in the “increasingly youthful” world of Hollywood.

“Valerie thinks she has it all figured out this time,” HBO’s press release teases. “She doesn’t.

Michael Lombardo, the programming president of HBO, revealed in a statement his excitement to watch how Season 2 of the Primetime Emmy Award-nominated series will unfold this fall. “'The Comeback' holds a special place in the hearts of its many fans, including many of us here at HBO,” he said of the sitcom that premiered on June 5, 2005, for a 13-episode run. “I can’t wait to find out what Valerie’s been up to since we last met.”

And neither can fans! Since the cancellation of “The Comeback” in 2005, the show’s fan base has grown astronomically with more TV lovers becoming aware of the HBO mockumentary throughout the years. In fact, Vanity Fair has attributed the devoted “Comeback” connoisseurs as one of the reasons HBO had decided to bring the show back. Talk about supply and demand.

Because of the series’ solid fan base, Kudrow admitted that she isn’t too concerned with having to reach out to a new audience when Season 2 makes its debut considering “younger people already know about it and have already seen it. It’s fully appreciated ... and they didn’t see it nine years ago.” The first season of “The Comeback” is currently available on HBO Go and on DVD.

“We’re just really grateful that we get to pick it up again,” Kudrow said during the Television Critics Association summer tour. “We just loved doing it so very much.… We were both so thrilled, overjoyed, Michael’s already overworked, but he said, ‘We have to, because we can’t not have this experience again.'”

Are you excited for Season 2 of "The Comeback"? Sound off in the comments section below and tune in to the new season on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 10 p.m. EST.