The critically acclaimed but little watched HBO series, “Luck,” ran out of it pretty quickly. The series was abruptly cancelled Wednesday after a third horse died while filming, The Los Angeles Times reports.
Starring Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte, the series revolved around life at a horse racetrack. Although the series debuted to low ratings in January, “Luck” was renewed for a second season.
The abrupt cancellation comes after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent HBO a letter that said the network ignored advice from animal experts and created a hazardous work environment.
Two horses also died while filming the first season in 2011. The network disputed any wrongdoing. “Recent assertions of lax attitudes or negligence could not be further from the truth,” HBO said in a statement last year.
The network said that it partnered with the American Humane Association as well as racing experts to consult the series.
However many precautions the network may have took, it wasn’t enough to prevent three deaths.
“While we maintained the highest safety standards possible,” HBO said in a statement. “Accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won’t in the future.”