As discussed here on Tuesday, the long-running CW sitcom, Girlfriends, is saying goodbye after eight seasons. As tough as that is for fans of the show to hear, it’s made even worse by the notion that the show won’t be going back into production to film any more episodes to give some sort of closure for the characters.
It turns out, as one might expect, that the reason is pure economics. The CW network has said that they’re only resuming production on TV series which the network is considering renewing next season. Since the ratings have been down for Girlfriends, they’re canceling the sitcom and that apparently makes it a lame duck.
Orlando Sentinel’s Hal Boedeker reports that a spokesperson for the CW said, “This was a very difficult decision for us, and was based solely on the considerable cost to license each episode in an extremely unusual business environment.”
But wait, after bringing the CW and UPN networks millions and millions of dollars in ad revenue over the past eight years, don’t the show and it’s fans deserve a proper send-off?
Girlfriends creator Mara Brock Akil is philosophical about the cancellation and said, “Although it’s always difficult to say goodbye, I choose to focus my energy on the history that Girlfriends has made, the human stories that we told, the beautifully complex images that we projected and the blessings 172 episodes bestowed on us, both personally and professionally.”
She went on to say, “I am immensely thankful to the amazingly talented cast, writers, directors, staff and crew for their endless dedication and hard work for eight seasons, to the network that always wanted us and the studio that always supported us, but mostly to the audience, especially African-American women, who took the time to tune into us every Monday night at nine to have a dialogue with us and who have been our partner in this journey.”
As far as the series finale, it looks like it will indeed be some sort of compilation of clips. Akil said, “I am currently in talks with the studio and network on putting together a retrospective show which will honor and celebrate this landmark series, so please stay tuned.” 
I just thought about something. BET should step up to the plate. They already run the old Girlfriends episodes so they should be more than willing to air new shows. And maybe then BET will actually air something that doesn’t stereotype and pigeonhold us. If they can continue to support videos with half naked women and stereotypical rappers I know that they can air Girlfriends or at least the finale.
I agree with the other comments. Like them I have been a dedicated fan to this show. It was the only show I looked forward to watching each week. I really enjoyed Joan’s character and could identify with her, so I always invisioned a finale with her getting married. All I want is a finale. Out all the money the creator and producers have made I cannot see how they cannot afford a show. It is really a slap in the face. You watch eight seasons, watch the characters go through ups and downs for nothing in the end. If… Read more »
I am saddened yet again by this display of unfair treatment toward minority shows. It was sad enough that Half and Half got cancelled and replaced with a less than mediocre show like Aliens in America (which should have never even aired), but now Girlfriend’s is in the bag as well. Don’t you think that the faithful viewers of this show deserve to see a REAL SERIES FINALE? What is wrong with this picture? For the last 6 years or so, Girlfriends has been the top rated sitcom on Fox as well as the CW; and now to end it… Read more »
what pisses me off is that if a white show is on the air for 8yrs and the ratings drop they still give a proper send off out of respect for the viewers that invested 8yrs in watching the damn show.. It’s because the Actors were black and the consumers were black so in white Hollywood it’s insignificant.. Happy Days jumped the shark 2 years before they cancelled it . Racist ass country … so far the only show that they ended properly is The Parkers .. the Hughley, One on One and All of Us were all cancelled with… Read more »
Well, another one bites the dust. It was bad enough with The Jeffersons,and they heard about theire cancellation from friends. Then Bernie Mac and My Wife and Kids, now they’ve done it to Girlfreinds. You would think that an allowance would be made for one more show to wrap things up a bit. I was left hanging with all of my favortie sitcoms just being sliced out of existence. Maybe someone, somewhere would produce a TV movie that would at least give closure to the last three. Was Bernie’s wife pregnant, did ‘Nessa go to college? Will Joan ever get… Read more »
THIS HAS BEEN MY FAVORITE TV SHOW FOR TH PAST FEW YEARS! I AM COMPLETELY DISSAPOINTED THAT I WILL NO LONGER GET TO WATCH THIS MONDAY NIGHTS..SINCE DAY 1 I HAVE BEEN ENTERTAINED AND BECOME PART OF THIS FANTASTIC SITCOM WITH THOSE INSPIRING BEAUTIFUL INTELLIGIANT AND SUCCESSFUL WOMEN. TELEVISION NEEDS MORE SHOWS WITH INSPIRING STRONG MINORITY WOMEN WHO WE CAN LOOK UP TO AND TO TAKE IT OFF THE AIR IS SIMPLY ABSURD. THROUGHOUT EACH SEASON WE HAVE ALL WATCHED JOAN TRY RO FULLFILL HER DREAM OF MARRIAGE AND ITS DISSAPOINTING THAT DEVOTED VIEWERS WILL NOT GET THAT CHANCE. THERE… Read more »
i am very upset with this decision. I among a whole lot of people faithfully watched this show. Every Monday night this is what we looked forward to. For them to say that this is due to ratings… I think is so wrong. I have been reading lots of blogs, and information about this and lots of people are highly upset. Please give us the pleasure to at least see Joan get her dream wedding (which she has been planning since the day she was born) and Toni come back for the wedding, and William and MOnica have the baby,… Read more »
It is completely insane! I have been hearing rumors for weeks. Until I finally got tired of seeing the reruns and wondering “where are the new episodes”, and decided to research the information I’ve heard. I am truly disappointed and sadden by this sudden cancellation (at least to the public). Where is the respect to the fans for the support of this show and network to just take the show off air without any formal announcement or series finale. If they don’t do Girlfriends justification and make an already difficult lost less painful to viewers, I will surely not be… Read more »
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST AFRICAN AMERICAN SHOWS THAT HAS TOUCHED WHITES BLACKS ,HISPANICS, ASIANS, YOUNG ,OLD ,CLASSY AND ASHY AND TO BE CUT OFF AS IF THEY NEVER EXISTED OR MAKE THEIR MARK ON PRIME TIME T.V IS INSANE WHATS NEXT IF WE DON’T STAND FOR SOMETHING NOW WE MUST QUESTION THE INTEGRITY OF PROD CASTING AND WHY THEY MAKE THE DECISION THAT THEY MAKE WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO AFRICAN AMERICAN SHOWS THAT HAD THE HIGHEST RATINGS SINCE THE COSBY . WE NEED TO PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS
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I had a feeling the show was coming to an end, perhaps that is why I started buying the seasons on DVD. This is my favorite TV show and has been for a long time. I am so tired of good television shows going off the air, and those being replaced by trash. An annoucement to the ending of the series would have been respectful to the fans that have watched for all these years. It is truly disrespectful for a series to be cut off in the middle like it was not watched for all those years even as… Read more »
I liked Girlfriends and though the show is not as good as it had been in the past, it deserves a proper send-off. The fans deserve closure. I think the CW needs to be reminded who supoorts its shows. Send your comments about their insensitive, greed-oriented reasons for refsuing to do a series finale to : feedback@CWTV.com. I got the email address from the CW’s website. Let them hear from us!
If its money we the “REAL” fans could do a fund raiser for a 30 min fair-well show.If we pool our money together and they(CW) come up with some themselves,it can happen! To just leave us hanging is an insult to me.I knew it had to end someday but not like this.My family knew Mondays and even the few Sundays it aired was leave me alone time. Flood their phones,website,and e-mail whatever it takes.If promoted correctly, it can happen people!
It is truly sad when we have positive shows that cast a relationship among black women in diverse levels of there adulthood get cancelled in the middle of a season without a finale. Even though Joan was not going to get married because her fiance was going to get killed in Iraq, they could have finished the season out with a reunion between her and Toni. Besides The Game and Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, what do we as black americans have as a good tv anymore. It is always money and not a black thing, right???
I know all about economics. But what happened to loyalty? CW owes it to the loyal viewers like myself who have hung in there with “Girlfriends”. Some, like myself, hung in there even after Jill Marie Jones left the show. It wasn’t the same. I didn’t like it as much but I hung in there. Since the very first episode, “Toe-Sucking” pilot, “Joan” wanted a husband and a family and now eight years later you are telling us that we won’t see it happen. How dare you treat fan this way. Give us the wedding. Let us hear Joan find… Read more »
Why is it positive shows that respects us, never gets a fair deal? If it were a negative show it would still be on.