‘Jeopardy!’: Canceled NBC Show Gets Shoutout, and Its Star Is Ecstatic

Good Girls fans have not had much reason to celebrate lately, but the show got a shout-out from Jeopardy! during Monday’s episode that had even star Mae Whitman celebrating. Good Girls ran four seasons and 50 episodes before it was canceled last month, and its series finale aired on July 22. Efforts to keep the show alive with a fifth season on Netflix ultimately did not pan out.

During LeVar Burton’s first episode as Jeopardy! guest host, there was a category called “TV Workplaces.” One of the clues was “On this show, Mae Whitman works at Fine & Frugal, but helps rob it.” After spotting this, Whitman suggested that someone working at Jeopardy! must be a fan of her show. “Omg [Jeopardy!] my favorite show of all time literally just said Good Girls rights?!!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!” Whitman tweeted.

Good Girls was created by Jenna Bans (Grey’s Anatomy) and starred Whitman, Christina Hendricks, and Retta as three suburban Michigan mothers who fall into a life of crime when they struggle to make ends meet. The rest of the main cast features Reno Wilson, Manny Montana, Lidya Jewett, Isaiah Stannard, and Matthew Lillard. The show was never a big hit with audiences when it aired, but it attracted a dedicated fanbase thanks to a distribution deal NBC had with Netflix. The streaming service seemed like the only place where Good Girls could survive if NBC canceled the show, but Netflix passed. On June 25, Deadline confirmed the project would not be shopped elsewhere.

The show was very close to getting a fifth season though. According to TVLine, Whitman, Retta, and Hendricks all agreed to take pay cuts so an abbreviated Season 5 could be produced. The plan was to make just enough episodes to give fans a satisfying ending. NBC’s official reason for not renewing the show was money, but TVLine reported that there was also some “bad blood” between Hendricks and Montana, which made Montana less interested in taking a pay cut to stay on the show. It could have been possible for Good Girls to survive without Montana, but Universal Television ultimately decided to end the show. NBC and Universal reps did not comment, but a company insider told TVLine that “creative issues” were a factor for Good Girls‘ cancellation.

After the show was canceled, all three main stars shared heartbreaking statements. “Well, we gave it our all. We really did. Thank you to our amazing fans through the years for all your passion and support,” Hendricks wrote on Instagram. “Feel too sad and confused to look at phone,” Whitman wrote in an Instagram Story post. “Love my pals on this cast so much… and love you guys who loved the show. It was such a joy being Annie and I’m forever grateful to you for supporting us. [O]K me go cry now.” Retta posted a picture of herself and her co-stars, adding, “The Good Girls in that ubiquitous Mom van. #AlreadyMissMyGals.”