It was always going to be tough for sitcom supremo Chuck Lorre to follow up the mega-successful The Big Bang Theory, but he managed to devise another ratings winner right out the gate with Bob Hearts Abishola, the first comedy he created following TBBT‘s conclusion in 2019.
Surprisingly warm and big-hearted for the man who previously killed off Charlie Sheen by dumping a piano on his head in Two and a Half Men, Bob Hearts Abishola offered a rather groundbreaking show about the fusion of white American and Nigerian cultures. Starring Billy Gardell and Folake Olowofoyeku, across five seasons it told the unlikely love story between a wealthy businessman from Detroit who falls for his nurse after suffering a heart attack.
But is season 5 the line of the line for Bob and Abishola?
Is Bob Hearts Abishola ending with season 5?
Yes, I’m afraid so, Bob Hearts Abishola is indeed ending with its fifth and current season. Whether that’s because it was officially canceled or because the creators wished to end it is slightly hard to determine. In November 2023, press statements accompanying the announcement of the show’s conclusion from both CBS and producers avoided specifying the reason behind the decision.
“Bob Hearts Abishola is about an unlikely love story, but also the premise that immigrants make America great,” shared executive producers Gina Yashere, Matt Ross, and Lorre, for instance. “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.”
Meanwhile, president of CBS Entertainment Amy Reisenbach gushed about the series in her own statement, stating that the network is incredibly proud of what BHA achieved. “We are so proud to call Bob Hearts Abishola a CBS comedy as it helped establish a new generation of programming at the Network,” she shared. “We plan to celebrate it this spring and give fans the most amazing episodes to remember it by.”
Nevertheless, all the signs are pointing to the series calling it a day coming from CBS’s end rather than any kind of creative decision from the show’s writing team. Before the cancellation announcement, it was revealed that only Gardell and Olowofoyeku would return as series regulars for season 5, with the rest of the cast bumped down to recurring. Restrictive network-wide budget cuts, in the wake of the writers’ and actors’ strikes, is believed to be the reason behind the move. All in all, it seems that while Bob Hearts Abishola was popular at CBS, and with viewers, money issues simply forced the network’s hand in giving it the chop.
Bob Hearts Abishola may be ending earlier than expected, but it leaves behind a positive legacy and proof that a cross-cultural comedy like this can achieve mainstream appeal. Plus, it’s not over yet as new episodes unfold Mondays on CBS, with the series finale set for May 13.