While it’s looking less and less likely that the CW will renew The Game sitcom for a fourth year, series creator Mara Brock Akil is apparently interesting in changing the show in order to score a renewal. Is it a winning strategy?
The Game is a spin-off of the Girlfriends, the once successful sitcom that ended abruptly last season. Premiering in 2006, The Game revolves around Melanie Barnett (Tia Mowry), a first year medical student who gives up her school plans to follow her professional football playing boyfriend Derwin Davis (Pooch Hall). Others in the cast include Brittany Daniel, Coby Bell, Hosea Chanchez and Wendy Raquel Robinson.
In its first season, The Game averaged 2.3 million viewers each week. For season two, the ratings dropped to 2.07 million and a .96 rating in the 18-49 demographic. This season, CW execs have stranded the series in a little-watched Friday night timeslot. It’s fallen to an average of 1.68 million viewers and a tiny 0.7 rating in the demo.
Along with fellow sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, The Game hasn’t exactly been a ratings powerhouse. It looks very likely that Chris will be cancelled in May but will have 88 episodes, enough for a syndication run that’s scheduled to start on Nick at Nite this Fall. In contrast, The Game will only have 64 episodes.
A renewal for The Game would create a programming conundrum for the CW. With no other half-hour programs in development, they’d have an orphan half-hour in their timeslot to fill.
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The Hollywood Reporter says that one possible solution would be to turn The Game into an hour-long dramedy. The change wouldn’t be a big stretch since the sitcom doesn’t use a studio audience and already mixes comedy with drama. Akil is expected to pitch the idea to the network sometime this week.
The plan is considered a longshot at best considering The Game’s weak ratings and the fact that it doesn’t mesh well with the network’s upcoming slate of dramas. Switching time formats could also cause a problem in syndication, unless each of the hour episodes could be cut into two 30 minute installments.
If the CW network ultimately passes on renewing The Game, the show could still continue. In February, the BET cable channel signed a syndication deal to air the first three seasons. At the time, Barbara Zaneri, BET’s Executive VP of Acquisitions, told Variety, “This [show] is something I went after the minute I got to BET. Not only does it have really fresh African-American stars, but it has a great lineup of guest stars. People like Robin Givens and Vivica Fox — these are people who are regularly on our network.”
It’s been reported (and Mowry recently confirmed) that BET execs have discussed with CBS the possibility of funding a fourth year. The deal would likely entail some cost-cutting to make the deal affordable for the cable channel but it’s in CBS’ best interests to make it work.
Will the show get some “extra innings” or is The Game over? We’ll likely have to wait until May 21st to find out for sure.
Image courtesy CW.
Please, Please do not cancel The Game on CWTV or just move it to BET. The game is a very exciting source of entertainment. What more can we as viewers do to keep the game on ?
I love this show . I watch the re-runs on Saturdays … Please keep this going . Moving it to a different da would be better.
Please don’t cancel The Game, I make it my standing Friday night date every Friday @ 7:30pm. I LOVE this show, maybe change the day and the ratings are sure to BOOST and the hour long show would be WONDERFUL!!!!
This is the only show I watch.
Please dont cancel the game, Friday nights are not a good nite for views, most people go out that night, but we watch it other ways to make up for it. If the Game changes the day of the week it comes on then I’m sure the ratings will go up.
I love The Game. I work on Friday evenings so I always miss it, but like someone else mentioned, I watch it on youtube often to catch up. I love the idea of making it an hour long show!! What can we as consumers do to help save the show!!!
if we tell the ads we would buy their product, how would that help in saving a show.
dont cancel the game i will be upset if they do that is all i watch on tv
dont cancel the game its the best show some people dnt watch it on tv but they watch it on youtube ..DONT CANCEL THE GAME !!!!!!
ddddddoooooonnnnnntttttt cancel the game pppppppppplllllllllleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaasssssssseeeeeeeeeee its the best show on tv
PLEASE DON’T CANCEL THE SHOW.. i LOVE THiS SHOW.. i DON’T GO OUT ON FRiDAy NiGHTS jUST TO WATCH THE NEW EPiSODES! I REALLy HOPE THE SHOW iS AN HOUR LONG! iT GETS MORE iNTERESTiNG EACH WEEK! SAVE “THE GAME”.. MAYBE iT SHOULD BE CALLED SOMETHiN ELSE SO PEOPLE WOULD kNOW iTS A SHOW AND NOT A GAME.. PLEASE IM BEGGIN DONT CANCEL IT!!!!1
Keep the game on it is a good show. The hour time will really let people get to know the charters better.
PLEASE dont cancle the game!!!! I agree with Erica…The show needs better adverisment. This show is one of the only new shows I have liked lately! I do agree that it should be turned into an hour show!!
The Game is seriously a great sitcom that with the right advertisment could go further than the Cosby show. I’ve spoken to women in many different age groups and they stated that they didn’t know what the Game was and that they thought it was an actual ball game and never thought to watch. So again appropriate advertising is the key. Save our show! Help BET! Help Oprah please!
Please don’t cancel The Game. I can’t get enough of it. I watch it on BET & The CW. Take some of this reality garbage off the television and bring back written drama.