HBO’s ‘Insecure’ Heading to Warner Bros. Discovery Owned OWN; Could More HBO Originals Pop Up on Cable?
There have been plenty of shakeups in the wake of the corporate merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, including the controversial removal of a plethora of shows from the HBO library. Now, it seems the merger has opened up the possibility of the exchange of programming, as HBO original series “Insecure” will be joining OWN’s Tuesday night lineup of shows. The highly acclaimed series will join the network starting on Feb. 7 at 9 p.m. ET. Starting with the show’s pilot episode, OWN will air “Insecure” in 90-minute, two-episode blocks weekly through Feb. 28.
In a move that Warner Bros. Discovery has been considering for a number of months, the company is bolstering the lineups of its cable networks with titles from its premium brand, something that could become fairly commonplace as WBD moves cablers TNT, TBS, and others further away from scripted originals.
While WBD has aired HBO Max series “Titans” and “The Flight Attendant” on cable as part of its “Front Row on TBS” program designed to promote upcoming seasons, “Insecure” will become the first HBO series that has ended its run to be moved to cable since the merger. The series was canceled following its fifth season, which ended in December 2021.
“Insecure” is an Emmy-winning comedy starring series creator Issa Rae that follows the contemporary experiences of Black women living in Los Angeles. The series was critically acclaimed and regularly appeared on “Best Of” lists during its five-season run on HBO. WBD is clearly hoping that it can fit in with OWN’s other offerings, and perhaps draw in some new viewers to the lesser-known cable channel.
One can imagine that this move is potentially a harbinger of things to come for WBD, as it seeks as many low-cost programming options as possible. With so many content shakeups having occurred at WBD in recent months — including the recent news that the company is scrapping the final season TNT’s flagship drama “Snowpiercer” despite having already filmed its fourth season — gaps are emerging in the channel lineups that could be filled by some of their existing properties. If WBD is able to simultaneously save money by not producing new shows while also leaning on the popularity of its existing programs, it would make sense to share the wealth of content. Additionally, by putting shows that are available on HBO Max on linear outlets, it can encourage cable viewers to speak out the title on streaming in order to watch it faster than they can on cable.
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