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.
DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE CW WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT THE GAME !!!!!!! ITS THE BEST SHOW ON TELEVISION THEY WILL BE MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE!!!!!!!!! I THOUGHT ALL U NEEDED TO KEEP A SHOW ON THE AIR WAS RATINGS!!!!!! AND EVERYONE WATCHES THE GAME!!!!!!! I CANT BELIEVE THEIR EVEN CONSIDERING CANCELLING IT!!!!!!!!!! SAVE ONE OF THE VERY FEW AFRICAN AMERICAN SITCOMS ON TV!!!!!!!!!! THE BEST SHOW ON TV!!!!!!!!! SAVE “THE GAME”!!!!!!!!
R U SERIOUS!!! WHY WOULD THEY CANCEL THE BEST SHOW ON TELEVISION I THOUGHT RATINGS WUZ ALL U NEEDED 2 KEEP A SHOW ON AIR!!! AND EVERYONE WATCHES THE GAME!!! ITS NOT RIGHT THE CW WOULD SUCK ASS IF THEY CANCEL THE GAME AND WHY IS IT THAT ALL THE AFRICAN AMERICAN SITCOMS ARE BEING CANCELLED!!! ALL WE’LL HAVE IS TYLER PERRY SHOWS UNTIL THEY DECIDE THEY WANNA CANCEL THAT TOO!!! IM MAD AS HELL!!! THE GAME IS MY FAVORITE SHOW I CANT BELIEVE THEIR EVEN CONSIDERING CANCELLING IT….SCREW CW NETWORK HOPEFULLY SOMEONE ELSE PICKS IT UP AND THEN CW… Read more »
I really hope that someone else picks up the show…Everything was heating up. That fight with Tasha and Kelly, and Rick Foxx and Tasha getting back together. Also Jason and his new woman. If it has ended, I think it did end well. I will miss it I loved all of them.
UPN please reconsider, The Game was a very diverse show. I truly enjoyed watching it, I was a little disappointed when it was moved to Friday’s. Most people are never home on a Friday night. We are asking you to bring back the show, it deserves a second chance. It isn’t many african american tv shows on tv. We only have ANTM, The Game was the last sitcom that was primerely african american. The show was a nighttime soap opera with laughs. Told real life stories and situations. Kelsey Grammer Help!!!
I will feel so disappointed about about it being cancelled. I have made these people part of my life, it is so wonderful to see such a diverse cast of people that i can relate to (not the money aspect of it but the real issues they deal with) The show gives you a good feeling, its like im smiling from ear to ear, imagining how wonderful it would be to be a part of that group. I wish it could go on forever.
No, thier are the other acters story to be told. I enjoy this sitcom it gave highlight and told the turth on who it can be if your son or man turn pro.. They have a good show, They need to have it back on Monday nights. I’m a 44 year old I have tape the show There are not a lot of black show that can make you lauch and cry and it’s just a 1/2 hour sitcom the network should not let this a go just yet!!
NOoooooooooo you cant cancel the game its the best show ever we deserve another season…..I want to see if janays baby is really derwins
THE CW IS GOING TO SHUT DOWN NOW THAT THEY’VE CANCELED THE GAME… I KNOW PEOPLE STOPPED WATCHING BECAUSE THEY CHANGED THE EPISODES FROM MONDAY 2 FRIDAY… NOW I KNOW I WONT WATCH THAT CHANNEL EXCEPT 4 TUESDAYS WHEN 90210 COMES ON!!!! THEY BETTER NOT CANCEL THAT!!! BUT I DONT UNDERSTAND THE REASON FOR CANCELLING IT PLENTY PEOPLE WATCH THE GAME NOT MANY PEOPLE WATCH THE SILLY SHOWS THAT ARE STILL AIRING LIKE THE REAPER OR PRIVLEDGED… BRING THE GAME BACK!!!!!!!!!!1
I am very upset about this. why do they alway cancel ur black shows. I luv the game and I wish to see more.the last show left people wanting to see more. We need the game back.
you cannot cancle the game it has really become like a movie to some people you have to know whats next with qho and they havent even really came to a close about kelly and jason ending it now will hurt the cw
YOU CAN NOT CANCELLED THE SHOW BECAUSE IT LIKE SOAP OPERA YOU ALWAY WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPEND NEXT AND IF YOU CANCELLED IT THEN IT AND UNTOLD STORY AND I HATE UNTOLD STORY AND THAT MY FAVORITE SHOW BECAUSE TIA MOWRY BEEN MY FAVORITE TWIN SINCE SISTER SISTER AND NOW I WAS HAPPY WHEN THEY MADE ANOTHER TV SERIES WITH TIA AND IT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH THE SHOW I EVEN WATCH RE-RUNS BECAUSE IT IS JUST THAT EXCITE AND I REALLY WANNA SEE MORE OF THIS SHOW TO GO ON AIR SO YOU SHOULD UN CANCELLED THE… Read more »
I agree with allison, there is so much situations that can be resolved in the game I personally believe it can carry on for at least another two series but I will be happy just to see it renewed for a fourth series. What will happen with Mel and Derwin, I love their relationship beacuse it is evident that they love each other deeply. I would like to see Derwin find out that Janay’s baby is not his and Mel gets pregnant and they live happily ever after. Jason and Kelly – What a cliff-hanger as we still do not… Read more »
This show is watched everyday by me. All reruns on any channel, I even DVR so that I can make sure I see it if I have something else to do. Please don’t cancel. It enough that we can only catch black shows on black channels. Prove there isn’t prejudice. This is a very good show.
This is just ridiculous, we don’t have many positive black shows as it is and now it’s being canceled. It pissed me off that it was moved to Friday nights, now canceled! I’m sure if they were to make it an hour long and on another night, ratings would go back up.