Canceled TV Show Saved, 2023 Return Eyed

By John Connor Coulston

One of TV's most promising shows is coming back after unceremonious cancellation. Hey, Donna! was a comedic call-in advice show that premiered on G4TV over the summer and quickly became one of the network's biggest hits. However, the Will Neff-led series abruptly ended when Comcast shuttered the gaming network on Oct. 16. Fans have been anxious for news on Hey, Donna!'s future ever since. On his Oct. 9 Twitch stream, Neff confirmed that the show will return in some form, with a return likely in 2023.

"I guess this isn't a leak at this point, but I've never definitely said it up until this point," Neff told his live audience. "But I can basically assure you guys now: Donna's coming back. Donna is coming back, maybe not before the end of the year, but Donna is coming back. If everything we know holds true, I will be licensing the rights to Donna coming up in the immediate future and taking Donna somewhere else. It was amazing to me how many people really, really took a shine to Donna and became interested in her goings on and became fans of that program. And I'm really excited to bring her back. I can't tell you where, I can't tell you when, but you will see Donna again."

It's unclear if Neff's character, Donna Pecorino (who he actually created before he joined G4), will appear in a successor to Hey, Donna! or if the entire program will return. The set-up for each installment of Hey, Donna! saw Neff in character as the middle-aged dating expert giving advice to real-life callers in need. Donna's "niece" QTCinderella served as her assistant (with personalities like Kassem G, Cyr and JustaMinx filling in when QT was unavailable). Also weighing in on callers' situations during each episode were special guests, such as Mia Malkova, Hasan Piker, Neekolul and AustinShow. While there was humor and wackiness in every episode, there were countless heartfelt moments where Donna and company dealt out words of encouragement and love to viewers going through tough situations. The mixture of comedy and empathy quickly won over audiences on Twitch, YouTube and linear TV, which made the show's six-episode run even more bittersweet.

Neff went on to reveal that he's also hoping to bring more character work into the streaming space. Though, it's unclear if he means more original creations or his other G4 characters like Lenny Dale and Bill Scruff. "Hopefully, with the success of Donna, the goal is to bring other characters to the streaming space," Neff said. "So, making other shows with other streamers with my characters."

The Fear& podcaster, who also co-hosted G4's Attack of the Show! and Name Your Price, also jokingly assured fans that Donna's characterization should remain intact and that she'll remain as single as ever. "I don't think Donna is gonna quickly re-enter the dating pool," Neff said.

For now, all episodes of Hey, Donna! are still live on G4TV's official YouTube channel. Some edited versions and highlights are also posted on the network's "Incognito Mode" channel.

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