‘Big Little Lies” was a ratings hit for HBO, but don’t expect to see a second season.
The drama, based on Lianne Moriarty’s 2014 novel, was announced as a limited series and never planned to go beyond seven episodes. Thanks to great acting, juicy source material and taut storytelling from David E. Kelley, the show introduced a rich ensemble cast of characters and brought its mystery to a satisfying end. HBO saw similar success last summer with its eight-episode crime and prison drama “The Night Of,” which was based on a BBC miniseries.
Both “Big Little Lies” and “The Night Of” were engrossing stories that could have continued. But the peak TV era has expanded viewing options to the point that it actually makes sense for some shows to have a clear end in mind. We all have examples of shows we loved in the first couple of seasons, but eventually stopped watching because the central story wore thin. “Big Little Lies” drew amusing comparisons to “Pretty Little Liars,” which will end after seven seasons later this year. Honestly, the Freeform drama should have ended already, having revealed the identity of its big bad (known as “A”) nearly two years ago.
As a number of reviewers have noted, “Big Little Lies” ended on a more ambiguous note than the book version of “Big Little Lies.” And, of course, there are shows that span multiple seasons and never overstay their welcome with fans: “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad” and FX’s ongoing (and still wonderful) espionage drama “The Americans.” And in the peak TV era, a show originally presented as a miniseries might be tempted to go beyond one season — like “The Night Manager,” which the BBC and AMC are reportedly considering for a second season.