How To With John Wilson Season 3 Is Coming To HBO

HBO's wide-ranging documentary series "How To With John Wilson" has officially been renewed for a third season. In a pop cultural landscape where our favorite shows can get canceled with the snap of a network executive's fingers, it's uniquely wonderful to see bold, creative filmmaking get the chance to thrive.

TV doesn't get much more creative than "How To With John Wilson." The series unfolds in a video essay style that takes place largely on the streets of New York City. Wilson, nearly always a disembodied voice behind the camera, starts each episode with a simple question, like: what's the deal with scaffolding? The series stitches together unbelievably odd and interesting footage of everyday New Yorkers, creating offbeat visual mind maps with perfect comedic timing and emotional beats that hit hard.

In the official press release for the season 3 renewal, HBO programming's executive vice president, Amy Gravitt, says: 

"John finds humanity in the most mundane and absurd places, we're thrilled to continue seeing New York through his utterly hilarious and poignant lens."

The show is executive produced by Nathan Fielder, Michael Koman, and Clark Reinking, the team behind "Nathan For You." Yet it never edges into the parody territory of its predecessor no matter how bizarre Wilson's detours get. The filmmaker often finds himself down strange rabbit holes, seemingly as a result of talking to random people on the street who then let him into their lives and homes. Whether he's interviewing a group of "Avatar" movie enthusiasts, a league of angry referees, or an advocate for "foreskin restoration," Wilson is exceedingly gracious with his subjects.

"How To With John Wilson" is a show for our time, and not just because Wilson's life story suddenly intersects with NXIVM cult founder Keith Raniere in a second season episode. The show's first season bumps right up against March 2020, turning the series from an awkward but beautiful jaunt through the city to a shockingly poignant and unique look at a transforming world. The show's second season gets even more meta, as Wilson begins to reference the show itself, all while maintaining his signature sense of curiosity.

The show's official Twitter shared a simple announcement along with the caption "Thanks for watching!" In typical "How To With John Wilson" fashion, it's accompanied by a picture of the filmmaker sitting inside the cherry-red, car-shaped casket he discovers in the series.

There is no set release date for the show's third season, which will air on HBO.