ABC Game Show Host Confirms Cancellation

ABC's fall schedule may have a full unscripted slate, but Card Sharks won't be anywhere near it and likely won't ever again. In an interview with TVLine, host Joel McHale confirms that the long-running game show, which has seen multiple revivals since its initial premiere in 1978, has been canceled. However, McHale would love for it to continue, as he is still interested. But, that might be a while.

"Hey, ask ABC," McHale shared. "I loved doing that show, and it was really fun. It's an age-old format, and the game is such a good game." It was first reported in 2019 that ABC was looking to reboot the classic game show, which features two contestants who attempt to predict the outcome of questions to gain control of playing cards, then determine whether the next card drawn is higher or lower. Just a month later, it was announced that Joel McHale would serve as the host, and later that year, it was renewed for a second season. Due to COVID, however, production was suspended, and the Season 2 premiere was delayed to October 2020, later resuming that following summer.

While it was reported last year that Card Sharks was canceled, now that McHale has confirmed it, it's clear that the series is no more. It's been over a year since the news and even longer since the second season, but to have concrete confirmation that the series is canceled is nice to have. Given the fact that the series has been revived four times after the original premiered, it's highly possible that the game show will be revived once again in the future. For now, though, Card Sharks has completed its game.

Even though Card Sharks is officially done, McHale is keeping plenty busy. The actor's Fox series Animal Control was recently renewed for a second season. He is also still hosting Crime Scene Kitchen and currently has close to 10 projects in development. The biggest one is probably the highly-anticipated Community movie, which is set to come out in 2024. So while the ABC game show is down for the count, McHale is not, and he is not slowing down any time soon. Plus, the network does seem pretty filled with other game shows that will definitely keep fans occupied, so at the very least, it shouldn't be too hard to find a new favorite.