Bob Hearts Abishola Cancellation No Surprise After Cast's Mass Exodus

We knew it was coming, but it doesn't make the news any less upsetting.

One of the best comedies to grace the broadcast networks in the last 10 years is coming to a close... for good.

TV Fanatic can confirm that Bob Hearts Abishola will end with its upcoming fifth season.

We wish we could say it was surprising, but a cancellation announcement was expected after the series announced it was saying goodbye to 11 of 13 series regulars earlier this year.

As things stand now, only Billy Gardell and Folake Olowofoyeku are set as series regulars for Bob Hearts Abishola Season 5.

Demoted to recurring are Christine Ebersole (as Dottie), Matt Jones (as Douglas), Maribeth Monroe (as Christina), Vernee Watson (as Gloria), and Shola Adewusi (as Auntie Olu).

Also being made recurring players are Barry Shabaka Henley (as Uncle Tunde), Travis Wolfe Jr. (as Dele), Bayo Akinfemi (as Goodwin), Anthony Okungbowa (as Kofo), Saidah Arrika Ekulona (as Ebunoluwa), and series co-creator Yashere (as Kemi).

Bob Hearts Abishola Season 5: Everything We Know

There are many questions about how the series will handle this big shift,t but the May season finale hinted at Bob and Abishola leaving town after the latter got accepted to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Bob was left uneasy about the move, and the season wrapped with questions about where our favorite couple would land.

The likely scenario is that they will move to Baltimore and be joined here and there by some of their family members.

Now that we know the others are set to return on a recurring basis, it seems like the only path forward.

The other possibility is that we're being thrown for a loop, and Bob and Abishola won't leave town; instead, we'll see fewer cast members per episode.

That's a tactic being adopted by the Dick Wolf shows to help keep costs down.

Fellow CBS series Blue Bloods had its cast take a 25% pay cut to keep the show on the air for Season 14.

As previously reported, the series has now been canceled, yet another sign of the constrained economics of broadcast TV.

It's hard to tell how broadcast TV will look in the coming years. My guess? We'll see more imports and co-productions to help keep costs down.

In conjunction with the announcement of Bob Hearts Abishola's demise, CBS revealed that the series will return on Monday, February 12, 2024.

The series finale has been scheduled for Monday, May 13.

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"We are so proud to call BOB ♥ ABISHOLA a CBS comedy as it helped establish a new generation of programming at the Network," said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment.

"This series expertly showcased a family love story and workplace comedy about the immigrant experience with heartfelt humor and emotion while also authentically portraying Nigerian culture.

"It's a testament to the incomparable Chuck Lorre, the amazing creative team led by Al Higgins, Gina Yashere and Matt Ross, and the talents of Billy Gardell, Folake Olowofoyeku and the entire cast for making this show and its characters come to life and resonate with viewers.

"We plan to celebrate it this spring and give fans the most amazing episodes to remember it by."

"BOB ♥ ABISHOLA is about an unlikely love story, but also the premise that immigrants make America great," said executive producers Gina Yashere, Matt Ross, and Chuck Lorre.

"We've loved bringing these stories to life and are excited for fans to see the final chapter of these two families, and the incredible work of this talented cast and crew."

The only good news about the decision to end the show is that we're getting one last season, but it will feel very different without the entire cast.

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Hopefully, there's a way to bring everyone together at some point to make it feel like the good old days.

Chuck Lorre Reacts to Bob Hearts Abishola Cancellation

A few days on from the cancellation announcement, co-creator Chuck Lorre opened up about it.

“I think there are so many more stories to tell,” he said on The Hollywood Reporter's TV's Top 5 Podcast.

“The initial motivation for that [show] was a romance wrapped around a story of immigrants who make America great — that extraordinary, courageous effort that is made by millions of people every year who find their way in this country," he said, adding that he believed there were more stories to tell.

"I don’t necessarily feel like we were done, but that was not my call.”

Why Did Bob Hearts Abishola Demote 11 Series Regulars?

Lorre also opened up about the decision to say goodbye to 11 series regulars, revealing that it was down to budgetary constraints.

“There were fiscal restraints imposed on the show. In order to continue making the show, the cost of making it had to be reined in, and that was the only way to do that."

What are your thoughts on the decision to end it?

Chat with me in the comments.