2 Broke Girls was a unique CBS sitcom whose 2017 cancellation surprised both its fans
and its stars. But there had long been hidden forces at play behind the scenes which ultimately
brought about the show's demise. Here's the story behind why the show was canceled.
When 2 Broke Girls premiered in the 2011 CBS fall lineup, reviews for the sitcom were decidedly
mixed. The Hollywood Reporter declared the show to be a disappointment, conceding,
"[It] actually had potential, but has squandered it away every week on cheap, predictable and
unfunny jokes."
"Wait, why are we doing this again?"
Meanwhile, Vulture criticized the show for more than just bad jokes, asking,
"Does it have to be so mean?"
"So order something else, put it in your pie hole, and get on with your damn life."
Later that season, a press tour at the Television Critics Association turned ugly, as journalists
hammered the series' stars and producers about the show's quote "one-note" supporting characters,
outdated racial stereotypes, and the dependence on innuendos. And future seasons saw reviews
become more pointed. By 2016, the Boston Globe even asked,
"Is 2 Broke Girls the worst sitcom on TV?"
The show featured plenty of characters who some felt were problematic, most of whom made
up the diner's supporting cast - which was described by the New Yorker as having been…
"Conceived in terms so racist it is less offensive than baffling."
"Okay, but I will have only one. When I get a tummy, single ladies call me Buddha and
rub me for luck."
A review in The Guardian went even further, singling out the diner's owner, Han Lee, played
by actor Matthew Moy. It read:
"Short…and work-obsessed, Lee is ridiculed for his broken English and failing to 'get'
U.S. culture."
Speaking with the L.A. Times, Moy defended his characterization, explaining,
"I know that a lot of people had concerns about Han and the accent, but the comedy on
2 Broke Girls always comes from a place of love - it's never mean. We're a comedy, and
we often go right to the edge. It doesn't bother me."
Beth Behrs also spoke out against the criticism, telling Entertainment Weekly,
"People are always going to have a problem with something."
"Who's a team player, what what."
Racist stereotypes and flat jokes weren't the only issues at hand. The show's unabashedly
raunchy humor was also a problem for some critics, as crude jokes simply felt out of
place on the primetime series. A 2017 piece in The Washington Post called the series the,
quote, "filthiest show on network television." But 2 Broke Girls also made headlines for
riling up angry viewers, prompting dozens to issue formal complaints to the FCC.
"More."
"Really?"
"Trust me"
As AdWeek reported in 2014, the FCC logged 91 complaints about the show. One complaint
accused the entire show of being full of, quote, "explicit language."
"One pastrami. Can you do me a favor, dollface, make it so big and thick you can't get your
mouth around it, can you do that sweetie?"
Yet another complainant asked the FCC,
"Do the writers want to break down barriers to good taste and spew coarse language during
family hour? This is your job to try to keep television from becoming a cesspool and allow
everyone to enjoy profane-free shows."
When 2 Broke Girls wrapped Season 6, there was no indication that the show wasn't going
to be renewed for number seven. After all, ratings had remained relatively solid. According
to TV by the Numbers, Season 6 of the show was in line with other comedies CBS chose
to renew, such as Man with a Plan and Life in Pieces.
However, a closer look indicated that, despite seemingly solid numbers, viewership was steadily
declining, according to TV Series Finale. When the sixth season of 2 Broke Girls premiered
in October 2016, the episode earned more than 6.3 million total viewers. But the season
finale in April 2017 garnered just over 4.5 million.
"Everything sucks."
While ratings weren't the only reason behind the cancellation of the show, shedding nearly
2 million viewers over the course of a season is never good news for a series - no matter
the network.
Fans of 2 Broke Girls were unaware of a behind-the-scenes tug of war between CBS, the network that aired
the show, and Warner Brothers Television, the studio that produced it. But, according
to a 2017 report from Deadline, so-called "intense negotiations" had been taking place
between the network and the studio.
The sitcom had certainly been profitable for Warner Brothers, with Broadcasting+Cable reporting
in 2012 that 2 Broke Girls had negotiated a deal for syndicated reruns to air on TBS
at a record-setting $1.7 million per episode. But CBS had no ownership stake, and therefore
received none of those profits. Considering CBS canceled the show shortly after the syndication
deal, it seems clear the network was influenced by the situation.
"No, we're business women and we need to keep track of every penny."
Still, showrunner Michelle Nader was thrown for a loop when the cancellation news broke
and vowed to somehow keep the series going. She told TVLine,
"This is not the end for these girls. We're not finished and we don't want to be finished
and I don't think the audience is finished."
CBS scheduling chief Kelly Kahl - who would later be promoted to network president - offered
his explanation as to why the show was axed, in a 2017 interview with Deadline, saying
that 2 Broke Girls had simply run its course.
According to Kahl, there were better shows waiting in the wings. He told the outlet,
"Our comedy development this year was very good, and whenever your comedy development
is really good, it puts a lot of pressure on some of your older shows. We felt creatively
it was time, and we had to create some space on the schedule to get some new product on."
The cancellation of the show surprised its cast as much as it shocked the fans who had
devoted six years to its main characters; Max, played by Kat Dennings, and Caroline,
played by Beth Behrs. And because Season 6 wrapped with the expectation that the show
would return, what ended up being the series finale failed to tie up any loose ends. Speaking
with Yahoo! TV, Dennings lamented that fans never got to see her character's wedding.
"Gonna give me a drink?"
"Are you gonna give me a reason you're here?"
"Are you gonna give me a reason you're so beautiful?"
"Are you gonna give me a reason - ok fine I'll give you a drink."
Dennings told the outlet,
"Maybe one day we'll wrap it all up with a two-hour special where we see all of these
things happen. I would love that. I think the people that watched the show for so many
years deserve some closure, and I would love to give that to them."
Regardless of the behind-the-scenes drama, there's no question that 2 Broke Girls fans
would love to see Max and Caroline reunite.
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