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Why HBO’s recently renewed ‘Insecure’ won’t get longer episodes

Kiersten Willis
By Kiersten Willis
June 8, 2020

As season four of HBO’s hit series “Insecure” winds down, fans can rest assured knowing the story of Issa Dee, Molly Carter and the rest of the series crew will continue. But it won’t involve longer episode times.

HBO announced last month that the show will be renewed for season five.

» RELATED: Issa Rae's 'Insecure' season 4 is almost here

“We’re thrilled that (co-creator and star) Issa (Rae), (showrunner) Prentice (Penny), and the whole Insecure team will be getting back together for a fifth season,” said Amy Gravitt, executive vice president, HBO Programming in a press release. “As we laugh and cringe with recognition, their stories make us all feel a little less alone in the world.”

Rae also shared the news with a 10-second video on Twitter.

Fans have been tuning in since October 2016 to watch the lives of Rae’s TV character and her pals unfold as they sort through love, work and friendships. But while the half-hour comedy is adored by fans, they’ve been calling on HBO for years to extend the show to an hour or air more episodes each season.

But the creators and writers of the show have long said lengthier episodes are not happening.

» RELATED: Issa Rae's 'The Lovebirds' lands on Netflix after being pulled from theaters

In 2019, Rae explained to The Guardian about why the creators took a year-long break from the Los Angeles-set series, which did not return for season four until this year.

“We needed a break, after going back-to-back for three years. Making that show means nine months out of the year, you can’t do anything else, and nobody wants to feel like a hamster on a wheel,” she said. “That’s not conducive to creativity at all. So much of that show is about our own experiences, so we need to be able to live life.”