NBC canceled the beloved sitcomThe Carmichael Showtoday, shortly after star-creator Jerrod Carmichael announced he was leaving. Friday was the final day for NBC to renew the cast options on the comedy for another season. Despite widespread critical acclaim, the series always faced an uphill battle towards renewal, with heated negotiations and renewals often coming just at the last minute. Here’s what Jerrod Carmichael had to say in a statement about leaving, thanking everyone who watched or was a part of theNBC comedy series.
“For three seasons (okay 2.5), I got to make a show that I love with my friends. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was 13. Now, I’m excited to go make other things that I love. Thank you to every person who worked on or watchedThe Carmichael Show.”
Deadlinereports that, much like last season, the negotiations between NBC and 20th Century Fox Television, the lead studio that produces the show along with Universal TV, had been quite difficult, with both sides reportedly far apart and talks progressing slowly. 20th Century Fox TV reportedly sent out “feelers” to other networks, in caseNBC canceledthe series, but there has been no indication whether or not it will find a new home, now that the cancellation has been confirmed. Here’s what 20th Century Fox TV Presidents Jonnie Davis and Howard Kurtzman said in a joint statement today.
“The Carmichael Showwas such a wonderful show that we choose to focus today not on its loss but on the three incredible seasons we had the pleasure to produce. We are thankful to the brilliant Jerrod Carmichael and his talented cast, and to showrunner Danielle Sanchez-Witzell, our fantastic writers and devoted production team. It’s a rarity that a comedy series tackles thesocial and political issuesof the day in such a clever and hilariously funny way. This show was special, and we will miss it.”
The current third season, which was produced for a mid-season debut, was pushed toNBC’s summer lineupthis year, debuting on May 31. The show has often tackled hot-button issues like race relations and police violence, and some had wondered if the delay of Season 3 to the summer months would affect how timely the show is. That wasn’t the case, though, since NBC had to delay a recent episode about mass shootings, since it was slated to air on a day when two mass shootings happened, including one in Washington D.C. at a congressional baseball practice. This current season has been airing on Wednesday nights betweenLittle Big ShotsandLittle Big Shots: Forever Young, posting ratings between 0.7-0.9 in the 18-49 demographic this season. Here’s what NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt and President Jennifer Salke said in their joint statement.
“We are enormously proud ofThe Carmichael Showand Jerrod’s talent and vision to do a classicfamily sitcomthat also taps into issues and relevant stories from the real world. We thank and salute the cast, crew, and producers, and especially Jerrod, for three critically acclaimed seasons.”
The Carmichael Show is inspired by the life of comedian Jerrod Carmichael, following Jerrod and his opinionated North Carolina family as they navigate topics that all families face in America today. Jerrod often finds himself debating such issues with his old-school father, Joe (David Alan Grier); his devoutly religious mother, Cynthia (Loretta Devine); his fiancee, Maxine (Amber Stevens West); his social media-loving brother, Bobby (Lil Rel Howery); and Bobby’s outspoken almost-ex-wife, Nekeisha (Tiffany Haddish). And somewhere in the middle of all of their disagreeing is the heart of this family. For its first two seasons, the series has received stellar reviews, including “The Carmichael Showconsistently feels surprising,” from The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times adding, “The Carmichael Showbalances pointed topicality with humor.”
