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.
me and my partner love the show that much that we bought all 4 seasons of it and watch it religously atleast a random episdode or 2 or 4 a night. so please dont cancel it we need to know how it ends, please.
I started watching My Name is Earl as reruns on TBS. My whole family fell in love with the comedy, and bought all four seasons. My mom nearly crapped herself when she learned she’ll never find out if Crabman is Earl Jr’s dad. My Name is Earl is one of the most original, funny comedy’s I’ve seen in a long time. I’m crossing my fingers that maybe one day we will get to see if Earl ever finishes his list! Or at least a mini-movie like they did for Dead Like Me.
i love my name is earl you cant cancel it rite as its gona be continued!!!:(
My Name Is Earl will be back on TV for a season 5 as of the summer of next year.
TBS is the one that plans to do this. hopefuly they get rid of the 3 hours of the office so we have room for My Nmae Is Earl at a good time and not 11pm at night.
On My Name Is Earl he never finished his list so I think maybe Fox would air it.
My Name is Earl was so funny, I would love to see it return but I don’t want to see it become another Scrubs.
please please please bring back earl we love you some body help them i laughed my ass of it was so funny……characters were so great pppppppppppppplllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaassssssssseeeeeeeee!!!! oh snap!!!
KEEP EARL! Everyone loves him! I’d be completely distraught to see him gone!
We want back earl,we want back randy we want back crabman we want back all of them!!!
I recently started watching My Name is Earl a few months ago and became completely consumed by the comedy and irony of the whole show. It just sucks you into the TV. I had to buy all four seasons. Today I find out that there is no more Earl! After all that it is very disapointing to hear the show is not continuing. I think there is enough reallity tv shows, so why can’t they cancel one of those rediculios shows of the air. SO PLEASE BRING EARL BACK.
I only started watching My name is Earl after i saw a rerun and from then i had to watch the entire four seasons. I am quite devestated that the show has been cancelled, especially with the most suspenseful plot in their last episode. I really hope that it could get aired for a complete season!
I even have an easy way back- Jason Lee finds out he made millions of people upset by not doing the show, then karma starts kicking his ass in real life, so he has to do a finale to make up for it.
The least you could do is give the show a finale instead of leaving off in a cliffhanger—Not very professional
if I will won a lottery I give the moneys for earls 5 season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My name is Earl was a great comedy and it was just a fun show to watch and then they left the cliff hanger please somebody put that show back on