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.
BRING BACK THE GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please,Please,Please find a way to bring this show back! It’s one of my favs.! I think the only reason the rating dropped is because it was on Fridays. Most people are out on a Friday night, not sitting at home looking at TV. Please save it and move it back to Mondays.
I would love to see “The Game” return this fall. The last episode didn’t really resolve anything between Kelly and Jason. They seemed like they might reconcile, then the last scene with them in it shows him walking away from Kelly to go kiss his new girlfriend, Camille. Also, What happens with Janae and the baby? Is it really Derwin’s? Watching the show, I hoped they would show the baby in an episode and it would become evident that the baby is not Derwin’s (for example, the baby is part black, part another ethnicity or something like that.). Or I… Read more »
I think The Game shouldn’t be cancelled. The reason being is because its a great show. What show that is out now that is like The Game. None that I can name. Although I do think the show should be extended to an hour long show., because the show had to many commercial breaks and the suspence killed me. I love the show I could watch the same episode 100times. All my friends watch it. We all gather up and talk about it. Although I’d really love to see some more Mel-odrama. [Laugh out loud]. Also, some kelly and Jason… Read more »
The Game is the hottest comedy series ever. There’s no other like it! It’s great Mel and Derwin got married, but there’s so much more to tell between their relationship and the other stars. Maybe the ratings dropped because most people are recording (tvo) the shows every week like me so I can watch them as many times as I like.
PLEASE DON’T CANCEL “THE GAME”! I LOVE THE SITCOM. . . I WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CAST. I THINK RATINGS START GOING DOWN BECAUSE THE CW KEPT CHANGING THE DAYS TO AIR THE SHOW. THEY ORIGINALLY AIRED IT ON MONDAYS, THEN SUNDAYS, AND NOW ON FRIDAYS. I THINK THE SHOW SHOULD BE AIRED ON MONDAYS AGAIN BECAUSE MOST PARTY GOERS GO OUT ON FRIDAYS. THATS JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. . . SO PLEASE DONT CANCEL THE SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! PPPLLLEEEEEEEEEAAASSSSSE!!!!!!!!!!
AND ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER. . . I THINK THAT VIEWERS STOP WATCHING THE GAME BECAUSE THE STATION KEPT ON CHANGING THE DAY AND TIMES IT WOULD BE AIRED. FOR EXAMPLE, IT ORIGINALLY STARTED ON MONDAYS, THEN SUNDAYS, AND NOW FRIDAYS. I THINK IF THEY JUST LET IT AIR ON MONDAYS THEN THE RATING WOULD GO BACK UP. MOST PARTY GOERS GO OUT ON FRIDAYS. . . JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL “THE GAME”! I LOVE THE CAST. . . I’VE BEEN WATCHING TIA MOWRY FOR A LONG TIME NOW! I LOVE HER. . . I WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH MELANIE AND DERWIN, JASON AND KELLY, TASHA AND RICK, AND MALIK AND HIS DAD. . . SO PLEASE DON’T LEAVE US IN THE DARK. . . SO PLEASE MAKE A 5TH SEASON. . .
IM NOT REALLY INTO T.V. IM A MUSIC PERSON, BUT THE GAME HAD MY COMPLETE ATTENTION! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO NOW… MAYBE T.V ONE SHOULD PICK UP THIS SHOW LIKE THEY DID EVE. THANKS BET!
yes and no…
its cool that they got back yogether but kelly nd jasons story is just begining nd now i wanna see what happens with the baby..nd tasha nd rick..nd malik nd et..it just shouldnt end its my favorite show..the only reason why i started watching tv…again..its gonna suck if they cancell it..
They need to put the game back on, There are no more African American shows out there. The only one is Tyler Perry and that is all. All these reality tv shows are lame. Bring back good television, First you take girlfriends and that was a good show, please stop doing this. The CW thought that their ratings were bad, well they are about to get worst. I love love love the game!!!! Somebody please please please pick it up!!!!!
I have always understood the business of television. I really am not that mad at CW for throwing away what really was good television that happened to highlight successful African Americans. The CW is a lame network anyway not thriving off originality just reliving old shows from the nineties and changing the music their promoting. FOX did that already so later CW. But I will be very angry if we continue to watch the CW from this point on and by we I mean the fans. I also think that between CBS and BET somehow some way we can bring… Read more »
i wasss! i was soo happy that they finally got married…but i was upset cuz i didnt want kelly and jason to divorce for reeall! and then what happens with tasha and rick!?
I really loved the ending of the game but i would like for more episodes and to know more about Jason and Kelly and Jeane and it would make it more interesting and would increase viewer population. Please Please make more episodes of the game. There are millions of fans upset because of this reason. Don’t upset me or any of “The Game” fans. Not only will it upset me but it would also upset millions of people.
I WANT THE SHOW BACK IT WAS MY FAVORITE ALL TIME SHOW DERWIN WAS HOTTTTTTTTTTTTT