Hulu subscribers are accustomed to great shows getting canceled too early. Between Reboot, Kindred, High Fidelity, The Great, and more, there are many such examples. Now, another series joins their ranks.

Variety reports that Hulu has canceled Deli Boys after two seasons. Created by Abdullah Saeed and developed by Jenni Konner (Girls, Single Drunk Female) and Nora Silver, the show starred Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh as Mir and Raj Dar, Pakistani-American brothers whose father runs a successful chain of convenience stores throughout the Philadelphia area. When their dad dies in a freak accident, Mir and Raj find out he was actually using the stores as a front to move drugs. Although they're incredibly different people — Mir is a diligent worker while Raj is a slacker party boy — they find themselves having to join forces to hold their father's criminal empire together, with the help of his consigliere, Lucky (Poorna Jagannathan).

Deli Boys earned plaudits from critics and audiences alike; Season 1 got a rare 100% fresh score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and Season 2 isn't far behind at 96%. The show was hilarious, inventive, and moved at a breakneck speed. It was renewed for a second season in August 2025, but there will not be a third.

After Season 1 dealt with Mir and Raj grappling with the fact that their father ran a drug empire in the first place, the second found them trying to defend it. The show brought in some big guest stars, including Saturday Night Live alum Fred Armisen as a criminally minded casino owner, Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley, Eternals) as an attorney competing for Lucky's affections, Andrew Rannells (Girls) as an ambitious district attorney, and YouTuber Lilly Singh as Aisha, who takes an interest in Raj.

But none of this was enough to save the show. Although no official reason for the cancellation has been given, Variety posits that Deli Boys simply failed to find a wide enough audience to justify the cost.

Saagar Shaikh and Asif Ali in the Hulu comedy series 'Deli Boys.'Hulu

Unfortunately, this means that Deli Boys ends on a cliffhanger. At the end of Season 2, Mir and Raj receive a message from someone claiming to be their older brother. Whoever this person is, he wants a piece of their father's criminal empire. Whether they'll get it, we'll never know.

The showrunner on Deli Boys was Michelle Nader. The show originated with the Onyx Collective, a content brand focused on producing movies and TV series created by people of color and other underrepresented groups.

Release Date March 6, 2025

Network Hulu

Directors Oz Rodriguez, Maureen Bharoocha, Fawzia Mirza, Jeremy Konner, Andrew Ahn, Nisha Ganatra, Ahmed Ibrahim, Jenni Konner

Writers Abdullah Saeed, Michelle Nader, Mehar Sethi, Ekaterina Vladimirova, Sudi Green

Creator(s) Abdullah Saeed