A24 Produced One Of Apple TV's Biggest Dramatic Disappointments

• Television
• Drama Shows

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's 2021 TV series "Mr. Corman" was a rare failure for Apple TV. The network that has had great success with "The Morning Show," "Ted Lasso," "Severance," "Pluribus," "For All Mankind," "Widow's Bay," and many others simply didn't get the right numbers for "Mr. Corman." It joined other obscure Apple TV comedy flops like "High Desert," "Time Bandits," and "Land of Women." The cancellation of "Mr. Corman" was odd, given that it was created by and starred such a charming and interesting lead actor as Gordon-Levitt, and was produced by the fan-favorite studio A24. 

"Mr. Corman" also boasted an impressive cast of supporting players. Debra Winger played Ruth, the title character's mother. Rapper Logic played Mr. Corman's best friend, and Juno Temple from "Ted Lasso" and "Fargo" played Megan, Mr. Corman's ex-girlfriend. Lucy Lawless played Megan's mother, and Hugo Weaving played Mr. Corman's estranged father. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's main co-star was comedy star Arturo Castro.

The titular Mr. Corman was Josh Corman, a fifth-grade teacher who works in the San Fernando Valley. Mr. Corman was recovering from a fallen dream; about a year ago, he had been a star rocker in the indie music scene, jamming with his girlfriend, Megan. He and Megan broke up; however, the band disbanded, and he hasn't touched any instruments since. The show often delved into Josh's head, such as when a conversation with his mom turned into a full-blown animated musical number. Josh's depression manifests as a meteor that's slowly falling to Earth, and that only Josh can see. 

Despite its ambition and its star power, though, "Mr. Corman" was canned after only 10 episodes and one season. It got pretty good reviews, but it seems that Apple TV didn't want to invest in its continuation. 

Mr. Corman was canceled after only one season

Perhaps if Josh Corman were a widower, the show would have done better. Apple TV is notorious for its shows about widows and widowers. In this case, he's merely depressed over his breakup and the state of his music career. Joel Kellar's review in The Decider noted that Josh Corman is an appealing character in that he is a bundle of "what ifs." He's kind of at the end of his tether, relegated to playing video games with his roommate on a Friday night, and unsure what to do about his future. 

"Mr. Corman," Kellar also posits, is almost like a bleak "Sliding Doors" scenario for Joseph Gordon-Levitt himself. He has been acting since he was a child, and while he has had his share of flops, he's mostly stayed a darling in the public eye since the 1990s. "Mr. Corman" seems to be what Gordon-Levitt might have pictured for himself, had he never entered showbiz. The show was said to be pretty depressing overall, which one needs to be in the mood for to flick on, but Gordon-Levitt gave a good performance. 

The review in the Independent, written by Kevin E.G. Perry, was also positive and noted that the show was almost like a parallel universe for the lead actor. Perry also remarked on the show's knack for creating a tone of rudderless panic. Both reviews were impressed by the creative dramatization of a panic attack in the show's second episode. The characters, however, were appealing enough to keep watching. 

But it seems that no one did. /Film reported back in October of 2021 that the series was taken off the air quite hastily. 

What Joseph Gordon-Levitt was trying to do with Mr. Corman

Why did the show fail? The numbers aren't in front of me, but one can safely assume it was pulled for bad ratings, like any show. Perhaps the title was confusing, as "Mr. Corman" has nothing to do with the late great film producer Roger Corman. 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt talked to /Film back in 2021 about "Mr. Corman," saying it was a chance for him to become more collaborative. Back in 2013, Gordon-Levitt made his feature directorial debut with "Don John," a film he also wrote and starred in. He had also previously helmed a few short films, so he was used to the director's chair with "Mr. Corman" (for which he directed most episodes). But this was a larger production than he was used to, so he had to learn to work in sync with more people. He also remarked on the sound design of the series, which was honed and mixed to wring the audience for maximum anxiety. It was, it seems, quite a stressful program. Although Gordon-Levitt said it was also funny. At least to him. 

Gordon-Levitt has been chugging along nicely since the end of "Mr. Corman," although one can imagine he was quite disappointed when it didn't continue beyond its first 10 episodes. He has since been an actor and executive producer on the animated series "Wolfboy and the Everything Factory," also on Apple TV. He appeared in "Super Pumped" on Showtime and is slated to appear in Mark Heyman's "Pendulum" in 2027. He is also working on another feature he is writing and directing, called "2034," which will star Rachel McAdams, Alfre Woodard, Toni Collette, and many others.