The once popular My Name Is Earl sitcom was cancelled last month. After four seasons on NBC, the show’s executive producer, Greg Garcia, was informed early in the morning, just 30 minutes before the news was given to the press.
While being dumped by the peacock network didn’t come as a huge surprise, Garcia wasn’t ready for the show to end. He told the LA Times, “There’s a lot of reasons the show would work well on another network, and I think we’d do very well with some promotion. We certainly feel like we have more stories to tell. That’s why we left the show on season four on a cliffhanger. And I know we’ve got at least another season in us and a lot of great ideas. So if another network wants to put us on, fantastic. Nothing that would make me happier.”
It was largely presumed that the FOX network would take on Earl since the sitcom’s produced by a sister company, 20th Century Fox Television. Execs at the network apparently downplayed the possibility and, when the time came, decided to pass.
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Ethan Suplee, “Randy” on the show, broke the news to fans, writing, “Thanks for the effort guys, we appreciate it. It seems that Earl is actually dead. Fox has passed. The mustache will live on in our hearts.”
Now, TBS is apparently interested in keeping Earl going. The cable channel has been airing the show in syndication and expressed some interest in picking up the show at the May upfronts.
Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks, told Company Town that the network likes to develop original programming but that new episodes of an established show like Earl would be an asset in drawing viewers to sample them. At the time, Koonin hadn’t been approached by 20th Century Fox but said, “Tell them to give me a call. We’re in the book.”
The discussions for 13 new episodes of Earl are still in the early stages and there are a some major hurdles that would need to be overcome before they could become a reality. The actors and writers have all been released from their contracts and they’d have to be renegotiated. Also, the show is an expensive single-camera comedy and the overall budget would be an issue as well.
On the positive side however, the show is already in syndication and more episodes would mean additional rerun money for years to come. With that in mind, the studio and participating talent will likely want to make the deal work if at all possible.
While Earl’s return is still considered a longshot, the fact that there are discussions to revive the series is certainly a good sign. What do you think?
Image courtesy 20th Century Fox.
totally bummed!!! i’ve been waiting and waiting only to find out earl is canceled. i can’t believe it. i love the show it is hilarious. it was the highlight of my weekly tv. now what will i watch…nothing else on tv makes me laugh so hard.
they drop my name is earl a totaly funny show and keep “chuck” that is amusing at best. i dont understand them. the staff must of nego. contracts that put them out of the market.
Yea, Earl back now! It must be worth to buy the rights to the program because the rights will could be sold to another countrys like here Finland. So we don’t care what channel owns Earl in USA because it will be shown in another channel here..
Oh no! I’ve waited for months for Earl to return! What a bummer!
Earl has a huge fan crowd here in Finland and we’ll definitely miss the show. 🙁
Bring the boys back, network!
I can’t belive this show is cancelled! I’m seriously addicted to this show! I live in Norway so I don’t watch it on NBC, but our channels doesn’t air anything good accept from this one!!! I hope another channel will air the next seasons of this show! It’s the best show ever! I’m so sad right now!! 🙁 Now I don’t have a reason for watching TV! 🙁 🙁 🙁
Really bummed out that this show got canceled. WHY?! Anyone see the new NBC show Community?.. Not even close to the entertainment Earl provided. I wouldn’t go as far as to say I hate whomever decided on its cancellation but I am very confused as to why.
FFS, finally there is a good show, and then they cancel it. I just can’t believe that it is going to end like that.
I hate those people who cancelled my name is earl !!! >:(
Earl was the best thing I’ve seen every single one and I want to keep it going is there a campaign or anything? or a forum on nbc about my name is earl because earl was great and if someone else is going to do it I want jason lee to stay as earl…
I hate those guys who canceled earl!!! it is a funny show and a great story line and how they do the connections of each episodes to the previews episodes, the jokes the language the twist of the story are very good cool funny then they canceled it???? WHY!!!!!!!! it is the best and unique sitcom EVER!!!!!!!!!!!
earl was the best sitcom since ”freinds”.
Karma is already kicking NBC in the butt. Parks & Recreations is boring and dull, Kath & Kim are gone already. NBC just can’t wrap their heads around the fact that reality tv has dumbed their audience down to idiots who only find pratfalls funny. The problem is when they stop feeding our intellects we stop watching tv. Their ratings go down and good shows get booted. Its a bad cycle.
My name is Earl was the only sitcom show that I followed on TV and it was because it was written well, well acted, funny, and just made everyone laugh. Its too bad the business end of things is putting an end to the show.
Oh that pisses me off! I love this show! I continuously laugh my ass off while watching My Name Is Earl….and now I don’t get to see the story Joy is going to lay on everyone about the kids. Sucks!
First off…i was ticked when the 4th season ended with a to be continued….and then they canceled Earl. You can’t just do that to the public…It’s like when Bush just left everything hanging for Obama to fix….it’s absolutly absurd and crazy. What are the people at NBC thinking? They have no brains. Earl is the one show that everyone in my family would get together, be quiet, and sit down and watch. There are 7 people in my family so that’s a nice silence for a whole 30 minutes. Not only that but it was a show where kids could… Read more »
My children and grand child would all watch Earl every week. It’s the only show we would all watch together. I always ended up with the previous season on DVD as a gift. Looking forward to more Earl!