The Max Purge of 2022: Every Show That Disappeared and Why

When Warner Bros. Discovery merged in 2022, HBO Max underwent a "content purge" that cancelled dozens of shows and removed many from the platform entirely. Here's what happened and why.

The Warner Bros. Discovery merger created the largest single event of television cancellations in streaming history. In a matter of months, dozens of shows were cancelled — many of them critically acclaimed, some fully produced — and removed from the platform for tax write-offs. The event became known as "the Max purge," and its effects are still felt today.

Why the Purge Happened

When WarnerMedia and Discovery merged to form Warner Bros. Discovery, the newly combined company was under pressure to cut $3 billion in costs. One of the strategies was to cancel shows and remove them from HBO Max — allowing the company to take tax write-offs on the production costs. A show that cost $100 million to produce could be written off as a loss, saving the company millions in taxes.

The result: shows that were perfectly popular, critically acclaimed, and had passionate audiences were cancelled — not because they failed, but because they were worth more dead than alive on the corporate balance sheet.

Major Shows Lost

Westworld (4 Seasons)

The crown jewel of HBO's sci-fi lineup. Four seasons of ambitious storytelling, with a planned fifth and final season that was never made. HBO cancelled it, then removed it from Max entirely. The show was later licensed to FAST platforms.

Raised by Wolves (2 Seasons)

Ridley Scott's sci-fi epic about androids raising human children. Two seasons of increasingly wild, philosophical storytelling. Cancelled and removed. The worst casualty of the purge according to many fans.

The Nevers (1.5 Seasons)

Joss Whedon's Victorian-era sci-fi drama about women with supernatural abilities. The first six episodes aired; the remaining six were completed but never released. They exist in a vault somewhere, fully produced.

Lovecraft Country (1 Season)

One of HBO's most acclaimed series of 2020. 18 Emmy nominations. A planned anthology second season was scrapped. Creator Misha Green moved on to other projects.

Minx (2 Seasons)

Cancelled by Max, saved by Starz, then cancelled again when the Starz pickup didn't generate enough viewers. A rare double cancellation.

Our Flag Means Death (2 Seasons)

Taika Waititi's pirate comedy had a passionate cult following. Max cancelled it after two seasons despite strong fan campaigns for renewal.

The Impact

The Max purge changed the streaming landscape permanently. It proved that no show — regardless of quality, acclaim, or audience size — is safe from cancellation when corporate priorities shift. It also established the precedent of removing shows from platforms entirely, making them unavailable to watch on the service that produced them.

For a closer look at Max's more recent cancellations, see our list of HBO Max shows cancelled — with recommendations for what to watch instead. And for the shows lost in the Max purge — and every show cancelled since — we believe they still deserve a proper ending. Read our fan-written conclusions.