After two popular seasons, Peacock has decided to cancel its original series Poker Face. The show, created by Rian Johnson, will not return for a third season on the streaming platform. In a surprising turn, the creator plans to continue the series elsewhere with a major change: Natasha Lyonne will be replaced by Peter Dinklage as the lead character, Charlie Cale.
The cancellation comes despite the show’s strong performance. Poker Face was one of Peacock’s most-watched original series and was critically acclaimed. However, the second season saw a slight dip in viewership compared to the first, and the show was expensive to produce as it was not made in-house by NBCUniversal.
The plan for the future is to reinvent the show as a moving anthology. Johnson is shopping the series to other outlets with a vision to have a new actor play the lie-detecting sleuth Charlie Cale every two seasons. Lyonne will remain with the project as an executive producer.
Why Peacock Canceled the Show
The decision to end Poker Face at Peacock was likely a combination of financial and performance factors. While the show was a top performer for the platform, its high production costs made its future less certain.
The series was a costly endeavor for Peacock. It is produced by Johnson’s T-Street and the independent studio MRC Television, not by NBCUniversal’s own production arm. This means Peacock was paying a premium to license the show. Furthermore, the show’s “case-of-the-week” format featured a rotating roster of A-list guest stars like Adrien Brody, Cynthia Erivo, and Giancarlo Esposito, which significantly added to the budget.
Although Poker Face was a hit for Peacock, its second season did not quite match the viewing numbers of its debut. According to Nielsen data, the second season premiere in May 2025 logged 497 million minutes of viewing. This was a decrease from the first season’s premiere in January 2023, which had 547 million minutes. The show’s all-time high was 641 million minutes during the first season. For a high-cost series, this downward trend in audience, even while still being popular, likely influenced Peacock’s financial calculation.
The Plan to Continue on a New Platform
Rather than letting the series end, creator Rian Johnson is actively working to find Poker Face a new home. He and producer MRC are pitching the show to other streaming services and broadcasters. The goal is to secure a two-season commitment to bring this new vision to life.
The most significant change will be the recasting of the main character. Natasha Lyonne, who originated the role of Charlie Cale, will pass the torch to Peter Dinklage, the Emmy-winning star of Game of Thrones. Lyonne will continue her involvement as an executive producer. This move is not just a one-time change but part of a larger creative strategy.
The long-term idea is for the series to continue as an anthology, with a new lead actor stepping into the role of Charlie Cale every two seasons. This would allow the show to reinvent itself periodically with different interpretations of the central character, similar to how the series The Crown or Doctor Who changes its lead actor.
Johnson and Lyonne have been planning this transition. In a joint statement, they said:
“We’ve been germinating this next move together since writing the season two finale. We love our Poker Face and this is the perfect way to keep it rolling. Give us a beat and we may just see Charlie Cale again down that open highway.”
What Poker Face Is About
For those unfamiliar with the series, Poker Face is a mystery-of-the-week show inspired by classic detective series like Columbo. It follows Charlie Cale, a woman with a unique and uncontrollable ability to know when someone is lying.
The story begins with Charlie working in a casino, but she is forced to go on the run after witnessing a crime committed by a powerful casino boss. Driving across the United States in her 1969 Plymouth Barracuda, she ends up in a new town in each episode. There, she uses her innate lie-detecting skill to solve murders and other mysteries, all while trying to stay one step ahead of those who are chasing her.
The show’s first two seasons, which are available to stream on Peacock, earned a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and multiple Emmy nominations.
What Happens Next for Charlie Cale
The specific details of how the transition from Lyonne to Dinklage will be handled in the story are still unknown. It is not yet clear if the show will continue the existing narrative, pick up with a completely new version of Charlie, or soft-reboot the entire premise.
It is also unconfirmed if showrunner Tony Tost, who led the second season, will return for the potential new chapters. What is certain is that Rian Johnson remains deeply committed to the series and is expected to continue writing and directing episodes to ensure its survival.
The cancellation at Peacock marks the end of one chapter for Poker Face, but the planned revival with Peter Dinklage promises a bold and unusual new beginning for the beloved detective series.
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