(ABC / Lorenzo Bevilaqua)
Today, ABC airs the final episode of their daytime series, The Chew. Last month, the network announced that the cooking-themed talk show had been cancelled after more than 1,400 episodes. Will you miss it? Was this the right decision?
Launching in September 2011, The Chew replaced the All My Children soap opera after its 41 years on the network. A talk show that incorporates cooking and lifestyle-related segments, the series was initially hosted by Mario Batali, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, Daphne Oz, and Michael Symon. Oz departed the show after six seasons and Batali left following sexual misconduct allegations in December 2017.
ABC decided to cancel The Chew in order to expand their Good Morning America series to three hours. NBC’s Today show has had a third hour (with various titles) since October 2000. The current incarnation is Megyn Kelly Today.
While the third hour of Today typically followed the regular program’s two-hour broadcast, hour three of Good Morning America will air separately, in the afternoon. The new hour of GMA is expected to be taped and not presented live, as the regular program is. ABC is making this move as Today has been taking the lead in various demographics in the morning ratings race.
If ABC had wanted to expand GMA to three hours, couldn’t they have replaced either The View or Live with Kelley and Ryan? That was unlikely to happen since both perform better in the ratings than The Chew. In particular, The View has been growing its audience and has been seeing its best ratings since the 2014-15 season (a rarity in today’s landscape). Meanwhile, The Chew has been in last place, ranking 13th out of 13 daytime series.
While ABC may have high hopes for a third hour of GMA, they no doubt have an uphill battle ahead. Daytime audiences often don’t like change and some viewers still hold a grudge against The Chew for replacing All My Children. Time will tell if the new hour of GMA will fare any better than The Chew did.
What do you think? Do you think that ABC should have cancelled The Chew TV series? If not, what could they have done to boost the ratings? Will you check out a third hour of Good Morning America?
My husband & I will absolutely miss OUR CHEW & just love Clinton, Carla & Michael! My husband went through cancer treatment twice & it was such a big help to be able to watch & laugh for one hour a day! I create crafts & he was a chef so they were right up our alley! We will have nothing to do with ABC or Disney! Kisses to the three of them & their great staff! Love to your futures, don’t worry we will find them!!!
I am really disppointed that the Chew was cancelled. A big mistake.
I loved the chew!! They made cooking fun!! I looked forward to it everyday!! Please bring it back!!!!!
I don’t watch much daytime TV but do watch the Chew. It is both intelligent and fun. I would like to see it back on …
ABC are fools, the chew was a fun show and taught very good things about food. They did not talk about the jackassssssses in DC they talked about food and crafting ,and made you laugh and some times cry. Bring them back, we need this show to lift our spirits and to show us that life can be fun not always down and out.
The Chew was a high quality, entertaining, informative show with and without the original 2 who left the show. Clinton Kelly, Carla Hall & Michael Symon are great together. I look forward to seeing them in another show together. Until then, my heart is broken.
NO!!!! The Chew definitely should NOT have been cancelled. With Batali gone, the three charming, funny, talented people should have been given a chance to continue their on-air fun, recipes and obvious friendly banter with guests and each other. Very entertaining!!!!
I will NOT watch Strayhan!!!!!!!!! I hope this new show falls apart because we don’t need another hour of GMA. I am really hoping the Cooking Channel or the Food Network will get Carla, Michael and Clinton together again for a show similar to The Chew……..
No the Chew should not have been cancelled. This is a very inspiring, educational, informative show. Michael, Clinton, and Carla gave great chemistry.
I already watch GMA in the morning and have no plans to watch in place of the Chew.
This was a huge mistake taking a great show off the air!
#savethechew
I love the chew! It’s the only daytime show I really watched. I will not watch the new gma show.
#savethechew
best show all day,very sad it is gone
best tv show in the afternoon, a little of everything .i love there recipes that you can not get any where else
This was at least one hour of daytime tv that I could smile, be happy and learn how to cook. Sucks that it’s cancelled.
I definitely will not be watching GMA or any other network show that takes over the time slot formerly held by The Chew. The Chew was a part of this retiree’s daytime viewing not only because of the chemistry between the hosts but the content of each show. You can’t beat informative and personable. GMA doesn’t even come close. I will now be watching programs on cable during that time slot. The network obviously doesn’t care about their viewership. Why should I concern myself with how the network feels
I don’t like GMA, its boring, The Chew, was a good, fun and wholesome show, hate to see it go!!
No the show should not have been cancelled.