David Farnor | On 24, Jan 2017

Amazon has cancelled comedy series Highston.

The show, which was exec-produced by Sacha Baron Cohen, was part of the online giant’s autumn 2015 pilot season, going on to be commissioned for a full run at the end of that year.

Written by Bob Nelson (Nebraska) and directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris(Little Miss Sunshine), the pilot follows Highston Liggetts (newcomer Lewis Pullman), a 19-year-old with a wide circle of celebrity friends that only he can see. His parents, Jean (Mary tLynn Rajskub – 24), and Wilbur (Chris Parnell – Saturday Night Live) force him to get psychiatric help, but his Uncle Billy (Curtis Armstrong – American Dad!) thinks he’s just fine.

“The premise doesn’t seem to go anywhere or have any real purpose – you suspect it would rely on the guests,” we wrote in our review of the pilot. “[But] between its physical comedy and throwaway one-liners, Highston is, despite its unbalanced nature, very, very funny.”

Since that pilot season, other 2015 shows One Mississippi and Good Girls Revolt have both already premiered their first full seasons, although the latter was cancelled at the end of 2016. Another of the pilots, Z: The Beginning of Everything, will premiere its first season this week, while the final pilot of that season, Patriot, is still thought to be in production.

For Highston, though, the end is already nigh. Armstrong announced last night that the show is no longer in production.

People have been asking when #Highston will premiere.It won't. @Amazon now says the show won't be picked up after all. A big disappointment.

— Curtis Armstrong (@curtisisbooger) January 24, 2017

The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed the news.

“We love Bob, Jon and Val, both producers named Todd and the incredibly talented cast,” Joe Lewis, Head of Comedy and Drama at Amazon Studios, told the publication. “Unfortunately not every series works out.”

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