To very little surprise, the CW has cancelled one of its few remaining sitcoms, The Game. Is this the end for the series or could it still return?
Created by Mara Brock Akil, The Game began as a spin-off of Akil’s long-running comedy, Girlfriends. The series centers around a first year medical student (Tia Mowry) who chooses to follow her pro-football boyfriend (Pooch Hall) to San Diego. Others in the cast include Brittany Daniel, Coby Bell, Hosea Chanchez and Wendy Raquel Robinson.
The first sitcom to debut on the CW network, The Game averaged 2.3 million viewers in season one. For season two, the ratings dropped to 2.07 million and a .96 rating in the 18-49 demographic. This season, it’s fallen to an average of 1.68 million viewers and a tiny 0.7 rating in the demo, in part because it was given a Friday night timeslot.
The CW is essentially getting out of the sitcom business and has cancelled The Game after 64 episodes. There had been talks about changing the show’s format to an hour-long dramady, to make it more compatible with the network’s other programming. That was seen as a long-shot at best and actually would have created its own set of challenges for syndication.
Though The Game only has 64 episodes, BET recently signed a syndication deal to air the first two seasons and season three will be added this Fall. To increase the show’s number of episodes, there have been discussions between the cable channel and CBS (the show’s studio) about co-funding original episodes. The deal would likely come with some cost-cutting measures.
There’s been no further word on the potential deal with BET so, as of right now, “The Wedding Episode” is the series’ last.
If The Game isn’t rescued from cancellation, are you satisfied with the way the sitcom ended — with Melanie and Derwin finally getting married?
Image courtesy CW.
i luv derwine and melony ad derwin and i was wondering if there is going to be a season 5 i really love the game and i wach it every chance i get….. u can find me in facebook at tearah.walton@gmail.com or tearah walton or SLIZZLE….. hint hint i luv eminem im also his biggest fan…….. 🙂
i am your fan.
I hope if the Game comes back on BET they will follow through with some episodes that show the characters (have grown) and matured! It would be nice to finally see black love taken serious!! Many may be intimidated by watching a nice looking black sucessful coulple male it!! I guess misery does love company 🙂 We need more shows we can identify with!!!!
“The Game” is returning to BET on January 11, 2011 🙂 Can’t wait!!
I COMPARE ‘THE GAME’ TO THE COSBY SHOW. THE WRITERS ARE VERY GOOD AND SO ARE THE CAST. BECAUSE I DID’T WATCH BET, I DID’T KNOW SUCH AN ADULT FUNNY SHOW WAS ON BET. I WATCH SUNDAY’S BEST, BUT THE GAME IS AT THE TOP OF MY TV LIST NOW, AND THAT GOES FOR TBS TYLER PERRY. I THINK AN HOUR SHOW WOULD BE GREAT. ITS AS GOOD OF A SHOW AS CHEERS AND FRAIZER WERE. IF BET DOESN’T WANT IT, MAYBE TBS WILL TAKE IT, OR CBS. THE LAST SHOW ENDED WITH THE WEDDING, BUT YOU HAD SO MANY… Read more »
so im watching the game reruns and its the last one im so annoyed because what the hell happens !? thanks a lot to the stupid people at the CW you guys suck for cancelling such a great intertaining show. so many people want the same actors and the rest of the show !!!!
The Game was my favorite show I think that it should return there’s still soo much to know and find out. I really don’t know why all the sitcoms are being takin away