HBO was sure it had a hit on its hands. With names like Martin Scorsese, Terence Winter, and Mick Jagger attached, we don't blame the network. It was so sure of the series' success that it reportedly spent $30 million on the two-hour pilot and then renewed it for a second season after just one episode.
Then the reality of the situation hit. The premiere was viewed by under a million live viewers and things went downhill from there. What's worse, for HBO specifically, is that "Vinyl" failed to inspire that kind of water-cooler talk the network is used to getting.
Now showrunner Terence Winter (whose relationship with the network dates back to "The Sopranos") is out over creative differences as HBO tries to figure out how to make people care about "Vinyl's" second season.