CBS Cancels Another Chuck Lorre Comedy Series After 2 Seasons
The Big Bang Theory co-creator Chuck Lorre once had carte blanche at CBS, but his latest sitcoms have fallen flat. B Positive was canceled on Thursday, just hours after United States of Al met the same fate. Both shows lasted just two seasons.
B Bositive's second season averaged 5.7 million weekly viewers and a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic with DVR viewing included, reports TVLine. While that total audience number is nothing to sneeze at compared to other networks, it was not enough to keep the show alive at CBS. B Positive ranked sixth among the seven sitcoms CBS aired this season in total viewers.
The sitcom was created by Marco Pennette and included Lorre as an executive producer. It had a difficult run that made it hard for audiences to latch on. The first season was about Drew Dunbar (Thomas Middleditch), a therapist and newly divorced father who has B-positive blood and needs a kidney donation. Since no one in his immediate family can help, his high school classmate Gina Dabrowski (Annaleigh Ashford) emerges as a match.
B Positive then shifted focus in Season 2 after the successful kidney transplant. Gina became the main star after she suddenly inherited a large sum of money and bought the retirement home where she works. The show experienced a complete overhaul after three episodes of Season 2, introducing a whole new cast of characters, played by Hector Elizondo, Jane Seymour, Ben Vereen, and Jim Beaver. B Positive finished with 34 episodes.
The Season 2 finale, which now serves as the series finale, teased even more changes for a potential Season 3. The show ended with Gina running off to start a relationship with Drew, only to discover he already left for Alaska. The Valley Hill retirement home residents also hoped that they could stay, but it soon became clear they would have to move to another home, Golden Horizons, which means Season 3 could have had a new set.
"There is the hope for a Season 3 exploring a genuine relationship between Gina and Drew," Lorre told TVLine after the finale aired on March 10. "There are [still going to be] life-and-death issues that are inevitable among the residents of Valley Hills... and we also have built-in this ongoing, cutthroat competition with Golden Horizons." Of course, fans will now never see what a "genuine relationship" between Gina and Drew would be like.
CBS also canceled United States of Al, which also counted Lorre as an executive producer. How We Roll, Good Sam, and Magnum P.I. were also canceled. CBS' Fall 2022 sitcom slate includes at least Young Sheldon, Ghosts, The Neighborhood, and Bob Hearts Abishola. Lorre is an EP on both Young Sheldon and Bob Hearts Abishola.