Author laments HBO's cancellation of 'Winning Time'

Throughout the second season, Pearlman tried to kick up interest in the show in light of its poor television ratings, which dropped by half from the first season. Much of the series promotion fell on HBO, though Pearlman seemed to do the same in place of the actors and writers that were unable to in light of their respective labor strikes.

In a recent interview with Vulture, executive producer Kevin Messick talked about the process of filming what turned out to be the series finale, and somewhat demurred when asked if there's a future for the series elsewhere. "I think the plan is this: If the universe wants more Lakers, the universe knows where to reach us," he said.

The reality is that another network or even a standalone streaming service picking up "Winning Time" is slim to none. Canceled shows rarely get a second chance for a multitude of reasons, starting with the fact that executives at similar channels use the same guidelines of success as the original network, so a relatively poor-rated show won't gain a massive uptick in viewership because of a network change. Additionally, Warner Bros. Discovery isn't the only multimedia company in cost-cutting mode as their competitors may be reluctant to bring "Winning Time" on board because of the costs of the show's starry cast.

It stands to reason that the concurrent writers' and actors' strikes may have played a role in the show's demise due to the lack of promotion of all scripted shows and films made during the ongoing labor impasse. Yet when the strikes end, there's going to be a mad scramble for the writers and actors to resume production as well as networks and streamers to program fresh original content once again. That may be where a slim chance of a revival could turn up if producers are able to book talent quickly before actors hop onto other planned projects.

"Winning Time" is the second primetime show HBO canned in recent months, with the widely panned series from Lilly-Rose Depp and music artist The Weeknd, "The Idol," getting axed after one season. In addition, the critically acclaimed "Succession" bowed out after four seasons this past May. Sunday nights certainly going to be a struggle for HBO, at least until the strikes are over.