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(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?
What a disgrace ABC,you should’ve cancelled the View instead,
ABC should not have canceled the show .Just plan wrong. Don’t need another hour of news so they can repeat the same news 3 or 4 times in the hour.
I could not agree more!!! I will not watch a third hour, to hear the same news repeated again. Loved The Chew…so disappointed.
So sorry that The Chew was cancelled. Will NOT be watching GMA but will be changing channels for something else or turning off the tv. Already enough news on that I don’t need another hour of GMA. The Chew was a nice, fun, and educational break in my day. I am hoping that another network will realize the value and support this show has brought to so many and maybe bring it back. Networks….are you listening?
I suppose it was too wholesome and lacked the over-the-top, worn out theme of political agenda talk TV! I think it is safe to say that America is sick and tired of that overused format and we will have to rise up against networks that make such foolish decisons as this one! Frankly, I would hate to know the person who would rather watch The View than this entertaining, civilized show. The View is an embarrassment to women everywhere! Shame on these foolish execs!
Very disappointed in the cancellation of The Chew !! It was the only worthwhile daytime show on.Will not be watching GMA at all. Why not cancel the view, or do you like all of the negative publicity that it gets? So much for ABC. I’ll find something else to watch!! I hope, as others have said, that another network will pick them up.
I don’t know what I will do without the chew. Will not be watching another hour of Good Morning America. We don’t need it. We need a cooking show, I have learned so much from this show and laughed all the time. A great group of personalities. My husband passed away 6 years ago and this show particularly has helped me get through the day with all the crazy antics that this group provided. i will miss Michael, Clinton and Carla and I only hope another network will pick this show up , not a cable station as I don’t… Read more »
I am very disappointed The Chew has been cancelled. I will NOT watch GMA. I don’t watch any early morning shows on ABC. Actually ABC will not be viewed in my home at all, after the cancellation of so many shows, especially Designated Survior, Chew, etc. Not all viewers are liberals!
ABC was always my “go to channel” but no more hate. When they keep a “hate monger program” like The View on it is time to leave. NBC here I come. The reason TheView is popular is that our countries morals are going down- and it is a round robin situation with those type of shows that promote dissection among the people. Hate breeds hate! The Chew promotes family and kindness and high morals.
No the Chew should not have been cancelled. I enjoyed this show learned a lot and I love the hosts it usual made my day. Big mistake AB C lost me as a viewer.
Shame on you ABC. The Chew should not have been canceled. I don’t need the news to be repeated 4 times in 45 minutes to end up 8 times in 3 hours. Just plan wrong
Please someone pick up this show. No politics, no hot topics, just food, friends and fun. I took my lunch everyday to this show, they will be sorly missed!!
WHY? I dont understand, great host, great people who get along and good chemistry. A different kind of show. Love it, loved learning how to cook. Why? Too much news and talk shows, this was so different. So sad, so stupid to cancel the Chew….so disappointed…
No, it shouldn’t have been cancelled. MY FAV daytime show because it was non-political.
I am really sorry to see The Chew go, and I will not be watching GMA in its place; I will simply turn the TV off. If GMA is losing out to the today show, perhaps the original show needs to be revamped, not extended. I stopped watching GMA years ago when it seemed to be more fluff than news. If The Chew was #13 out of 13 ranking, I understand why it was chosen to be cancelled, but I will really miss it and the interaction of its cast.
Another hour of GMA you have got to be kidding. The current Chew ensemble is one of the best daytime hours around. ABC keeps going down the drain. Will not watch.