The Covid-19 epidemic, says one host, is to blame.
According to Ellen and others, it’s not only the Netflix series that get killed by the cancellation axe. What’s new? After eight seasons, Warner Bros. Unscripted Television/Telepictures is reportedly cancelling the daytime chat programme The Real, which has included hosts such as Tamera Mowry-Housley, Jeannie Mai and Tamar Braxton.
As Variety(opens in new tab) notes, Warner Bros. was not the only company to make the decision. Fox stations refused to renew the programme, according to reports, thus Warner Bros. decided to discontinue it.
Also, it’s worth noting that “the change is not tied to the start of The Jennifer Hudson Show.” In other words, don’t imagine these networks and studios don’t have a limit on how many Black-led discussion shows they can air.
Co-host Loni Love(opens in new tab) sent a message on Instagram that read: “In the end, The Real cast and crew did everything we could to reduce the size of the programme. There was no crowd, we set up a studio in a conference room, and Covid expenses ruined this programme for me.”
Is there any hope for the Real?
“Will it be saved?” is the first question we ask ourselves after a programme closes. Because they don’t depend on having more stories to tell, talk shows are constantly primed for such a pleasant ending.
It is for this reason that we highlight to the conclusion of Love’s Instagram post, which was also written by Love “Thanks to the studio for enabling eight seasons of an Emmy-winning and historic programme to air. Lastly, we want to thank everyone who came along for the ride, and we hope to see you all again soon!”
That final line particularly stands out to us as a noteworthy nugget, since it suggests that The Real may have a future elsewhere. Considering Warner Bros. doesn’t seem to be interested in selling the programme, it sounds as if Love is working on a new project or reuniting the co-hosts under a different banner.
However, the constant turnover of co-hosts might be a problem. Braxton (in 2016) and Mowry-Housely (in July 2020) were two of the program’s top stars who departed the show, however they did so amicably.
In a first for HBO, Warner Bros. might relaunch some form of The Real on HBO Max. Even while Peacock has nightly chat programmes, and Disney Plus is acquiring Dancing with the Stars, none of the large streaming services have yet joined the daytime talkshow field.
Check out our list of Netflix cancelled series for 2022 for additional information on what you won’t be seeing on the service in the future.