Renewals and Cancellations: The Decline of Dwayne Johnson and the Death of the CW

By Dustin Rowles | TV | June 12, 2023 |

By Dustin Rowles | TV | June 12, 2023 |

We had a nice run for a few weeks where there were no major cancellations. Alas, they have returned, beginning with the decision last week by Max to end Perry Mason after two seasons. This was not unexpected. The first season was not great but full of potential, and I was surprised that Max gave it a second season. The second season fulfilled that potential, but I suspect that it’s difficult to attract viewers who quit or didn’t watch the first season to watch the second season. It’s too bad because it improved dramatically, but it does free up Matthew Rhys and Juliet Rylance for other projects, which I suspect will be easy to find for both of them.

Elsewhere, it took a very long time, but Showtime/Paramount+ has finally pulled the plug on I Love That For You, which is also not a huge surprise. Like Perry Mason, the first season had a lot of potential (and a terrific cast), but it did not fulfill that potential. Robert Downey Jr. was not producing this one (as he did Perry Mason), so it did not get a second season to find its legs. The biggest problem, I thought, was that the series was supposed to explore the childhood leukemia of Bayer’s character, but after the first couple of episodes, it didn’t return to her childhood cancer. Instead, it settled into what was the adult character lying about having cancer and it wrote itself into an impossible corner.

Meanwhile, NBC has cancelled Young Rock and Grand Crew after three and two seasons, respectively. Even in a time-shifted viewing landscape, I didn’t think Grand Crew could survive the switch to Friday nights, although the sitcom had continued to improve over its run. I suspect NBC only kept Young Rock around to keep Dwayne Johnson happy, but now that he’s been hit with a string of disappointments, ABC has less reason to do so. That show was also not very good. NBC still has not made a decision on American Auto.

Likewise, ABC still has not made a decision on Home Economics or The Rookie: Feds.

Wendi McLendon-Covey has already landed her first post-The Goldbergs gig, as NBC has picked up St. Denis Medical, a mockumentary-style sitcom set in an underfunded, understaffed Oregon hospital. She will be starring alongside Allison Tolman.

For what it’s worth, the CW also continues its rebrand. After canceling most of its programming slate, it’s picked up three seasons of a television show about the life of Jesus Christ. The series comes from Dallas Jenkins, whose dad co-wrote The Left Behind book series later turned into terrible, awful movies starring Kirk Cameron. The first three seasons were crowdfunded, the first season is available on Netflix, and the first two seasons are available on Peacock. The third season is on something called Angel.com. I don’t know why the CW has decided to essentially re-air the three seasons of a show about Jesus (seven seasons are planned), but with this — and their deal with LIV Golf (which has since merged with the PGA) — I think it’s safe to say we can leave the CW behind, too. It is not a real network anymore.