CBS did not renew Bob Hearts Abishola for the most disappointing of reasons

After five amazing seasons, Chuck Lorre’s hit CBS comedy Bob Hearts Abioshola is coming to an end. The series first broke onto the scene in 2019 and quickly carved out a passionate group of fans who have loved every minute of the show’s five-season run. 

While five seasons is nothing to scoff at in today’s era of television, the truth is that Bob Hearts Abishola feels like the type of show that could have continued for many more seasons. It’s for this reason that many fans continue to be confused about the decision to end the show with season 5, wondering why CBS decided to cancel the show. 

Bob Hearts Abishola was canceled due to money

Ultimately, Bob Hearts Abishola was canceled due to cost-cutting efforts which is becoming a common reason for cancellation in this day and age, particularly when it comes to broadcast series. 

In an interview with Deadline, executive producer and star Gina Yashere revealed that the move to cancel the show was on CBS, later adding, “The industry is in flux right now. The money that was there 10 years ago is not here anymore.” 

CBS has been making a lot of cost-cutting decisions this year as money was also a factor in the cancellation of fellow Monday night hit NCIS: Hawaii, which was canceled after three seasons due to budgeting reasons. 

In addition to money, the show’s ratings also weren’t where CBS had hoped they’d be with Bob Hearts Abishola. The show finished last season as CBS’s least-watched comedy and it retained that title this season, besting only Ghosts UK this season in comedies which was an acquisition used in the fall as part of the strike-delayed fall schedule. 

Chuck Lorre and the cast didn’t want the show to end

While CBS decided that it was time to end the show due to its ratings and cost, creator Chuck Lorre has been vocal in noting that he did not agree with the decision and feels the show could have gone on longer than five seasons. 

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter’s TV Top 5 podcast (h/t: CinemaBlend), Lorre called out CBS saying that there were “so many more stories to tell.”

“I think there's so many more stories to tell,” Lorre said of the cancellation. “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 to find their way in this country. I don’t necessarily feel like we were done, but that was not my call.”

Series lead Folake Olowofoyeku echoed Lorre’s sentiment about the show’s end coming too soon, calling it a bittersweet moment in an interview with Deadline while expressing gratitude to CBS for being able to bring representation of Nigerian culture to the forefront through the show. 

“It’s a bittersweet,” said Olowofoyeku. “Bitter because it’s coming to an end, sweet because of the work we’ve done here for the last five years. It’s extremely impactful. I can speak for my culture, Nigerians, the reflection of these characters in such a positive light, is something we’ve yearned for, for so long. It gives context to our experience as immigrants and as Nigerians as a whole. I feel like the impact of this show will reveal itself for many more years to come. I don’t think we fully comprehend the work we’ve done here. I feel very grateful. I learned about gratitude on this show.”

All five seasons of Bob Hearts Abishola are streaming now on Paramount+.