Tamal Kundu
Created by Simon Beaufoy and Alice Nutter, ‘The Full Monty’ is a comedy–drama series that serves as a sequel to the 1997 classic British film of the same name. In the original movie, a group of former steel mills workers in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, lose their jobs after the mills shut down. As their financial situation becomes dire, they draw inspiration from the popular Chippendales and decide to form a male striptease group of their own.
In the sequel series, 26 years have passed, and not much has changed in the country because of the horrid policies of the successive governments. Most members of the original six are still under financial stress. Even though they don’t take the stage and perform in front of an audience, there is a sequence in the show that pays homage to the iconic scene from the film. Following its release, ‘The Full Monty’ received mostly positive responses, with much praise directed at the writing and performances. If you are wondering whether there will be a second season of ‘The Full Monty,’ we got you covered.
Will The Full Monty Season 2 Happen?
‘The Full Monty’ season 1 premiered on June 14, 2023, on FX on Hulu (in the US) and Disney+. It comprises 8 episodes of 54-38-minute runtime. As for season 2, this is what we know.
Neither the series creators nor Hulu and Disney executives have yet confirmed the development of a second season. In fact, all reports seem to agree that ‘The Full Monty’ is meant to be a limited series. When the original film came out, it was a massive critical and commercial hit and won three BAFTAs and one Oscar. In the following years, it has been adapted in various other mediums, including a novel, an Americanized Broadway musical, and a stage play by the original screenwriter Beaufoy. In various interviews, Beaufoy spoke about the lucrative offers he received over the years for a sequel but didn’t want to make it unless he could find a better story than the original. He was also waiting for what he refers to as the rebirth of television.
“For 20 years, nothing,” Beaufoy explained in an interview with The Guardian. “Then, in the last few years, it became increasingly clear that we were in the same place again. This time, it was less visible than a wrecking ball, more insidious. The political destruction wreaked by successive governments wasn’t about destroying industry; it was the infrastructure of the country they’d come to asset-strip, slowly and incredibly successfully. Schools, hospitals, dental care, social care, mental health care, transport, the courts, water: all of the structures that allow people in need to function were now on the edge of collapse. So, the idea took shape of going back to Sheffield.”
Beaufoy also doesn’t like to consider the show a sequel, even though it essentially is, and describes it as “a return to their [the characters] lives where they’ve got children and grandchildren and new friends and acquaintances.” Given how adamantly he refused to develop the project until there were the right time and the right plot, it’s probably safe to assume that he and Nutter will not create a second season even if the show is a success and the networks ask them to.
For all intent and purpose, the narrative of ‘The Full Monty’ appears complete. Barrington “Horse” Mitchell (Paul Barber) passes away, and his friends bid goodbye to him by burning him on a funeral pyre. Gary “Gaz” Schofield (Robert Carlyle) reconciles with his children, and Destiny (Talitha Wing) prepares to join a music program after high school. Despite Jean’s (Lesley Sharp) infidelity, Dave reunites with her, and they agree to deal with the death of their son Michael together. Darren (Miles Jupp) begins a relationship with Silvan (Halima Ilter), and Lomper (Steve Huison) and Dennis (Paul Clayton) continue to be in love and run their café. After grief is expressed, life goes on for the living. So, considering all this, it’s highly unlikely that there will ever be a ‘The Full Monty’ season 2.
Read More: Is The Full Monty Based on a True Story?
