John Wilson’s hanging up his handheld camera. The creator and star of HBO’s acclaimed docu-comedy series “How To with John Wilson” is ending the show with its upcoming third season, set to premiere on July 28.
The 25-minute series, which originally premiered in October 2020, is shot and narrated by Wilson, and compiled from candid footage taken in New York City as well as interviews. Each episode is framed as an instructional guide on a different activity — for example, Season 3 episodes include installments focusing on finding a public restroom, working out, and cleaning your ears — and uses the seemingly mundane topic to approach larger philosophical issues. The show’s first two season’s received critical acclaim, and the Season 2 finale nabbed an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program.
In a statement accompanying the announcement of the season, Wilson said the choice to end the show in its third season came from him, and he shot the season with the expectation that it would be the show’s last.
“As we started work on Season 3 I found it exciting to think of it as the last one. It ended up opening a lot of narrative possibilities that weren’t available to us before and gave us the freedom to try some really ambitious stuff,” Wilson said in his statement. “While a part of me would be happy to go on making ‘How To’ indefinitely, I take a lot of pride in trying to make the style and imagery feel surprising, and I would prefer to end the show while that’s still the case. Thematically, we also kind of reach a vanishing point by the finale, and it felt like a natural place to sign off.”
“I plan to continue to experiment within the world of non-fiction and any ideas I have left over will just be put into the next thing. The project of documenting the current moment never really ends and even if the work changes title and shifts form, there will always be something worth capturing,” Wilson continued. “It’s a miracle that a program like this ever made it on to HBO in the first place, and after 18 episodes, it feels like we pulled off some kind of incredible heist. I feel melancholy ending a project with such an amazing team, but I can’t be more thankful to HBO for their support, and for the fact that they let us experiment for three amazing seasons. So if you’re a fan of the show – thanks for watching, and buckle up, because there’s a crazy trip you’re about to take.”
Wilson executive produces “How To with John Wilson” along with “Nathan For You” creators Nathan Fielder and Michael Koman, as well as Clark Reinking, who produced that Comedy Central series. The series came to HBO as part of Fielder’s 2019 overall deal with the network, and the comedian also has his own series, last year’s viral sensation “The Rehearsal,” at the channel. “The Rehearsal” was renewed for a second season, with a premiere date yet to be announced.
Season 3 of “How To With John Wilson” will consist of six episodes, premiering Fridays at 11:00 p.m. ET. The series finale will premiere September 1. HBO also released a teaser for the final season; watch it below.
