'Ziwe' Canceled at Showtime

'Ziwe' Canceled at Showtime,Showtime's late-night schedule is undergoing a major shakeup. Ziwe, the cabler's last remaining late-night series, has been canceled after two seasons, sources close to the show confirmed to The Wrap. The Hollywood Reporter also confirmed the news, reporting that Showtime also handed out a series [...]

‘Ziwe’ Canceled at Showtime

Showtime’s late-night schedule is undergoing a major shakeup. Ziwe, the cabler’s last remaining late-night series, has been canceled after two seasons, sources close to the show confirmed to The Wrap. The Hollywood Reporter also confirmed the news, reporting that Showtime also handed out a series order to Mandy Patinkin family comedy Seasoned and passed on The Wood. Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance’s film Heist 88, meanwhile, will move to Showtime after initially being set for a Paramount+ debut.

Premiering in May 2021, Ziwe was a satirical late-night talk show hosted and executive produced by comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, who rose to fame with her YouTube comedy Baited with Ziwe and also served as a writer on Desus & Mero from 2018 to 2020. Based in New York City, the show’s official logline reads, “a no-holds-barred mix of musical numbers, interviews, guest stars and sketches that challenge America’s discomfort with race, politics & other cultural issues.” The series performed relatively well, holding a 66% audience score and 73% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it certified fresh in both metrics. Ziwe was produced by A24 for Showtime, with Ziwe, Jamund Washington, Jo Firestone, and Hunter Speese serving as executive producers. The series remained Showtime’s finale late-night series after Desus & Mero ended last year.

A reason for Ziwe’s cancellation was not provided, though it comes amid a programming slate reevaluation that has been underway ever since Chris McCarthy added Showtime to his purview following the exit of longtime CEO David Nevins in October. McCarthy addressed some of these changes when it was announced in January that the Paramount+ and Showtime brands are merging into “Paramount+ with Showtime.”

“As a part of Paramount+, we can put more resources into building out the lanes that have made the Showtime brand famous, as well as turning our hit shows into global hit franchises,” McCarthy said at the time. “To do this, we will divert investment away from areas that are underperforming and that account for less than 10% of our views. We have already begun conversations with our production partners about what content makes sense moving forward and which shows have franchise potential.”

Amid the merger, several Showtime series have gotten the axe, with Let The Right One In and American Gigolo both canceled after just a single season. Three Women, an already-completed series that stars Shailene Woodley, was also canceled. More recently, Shwotime canceled The L Word: Generation Q after three seasons, but a new reboot set in New York is reportedly in the works.

0comments

Everything Coming to Showtime in April 2023
‘Billions’ Ending With Season 7 at Showtime, Fans React
Showtime Cancels Revival of Original Series After Three Seasons, Reveals New Reboot