Broadcast television is in the middle of a major surge, especially over on CBS, where a bunch of United States viewers have been treated to hits like "Elsbeth" and the new version of "Matlock." Streaming has brought a wealth of choice, but the general cost of maintaining a bunch of subscriptions, and the relative ease of turning on the TV for predictable programming, has seen some people flocking back to the big four networks. In spite of this renewed interest in broadcast television from people who
might have cut the cord last decade, CBS has been putting a bunch of shows out to pasture, and "The Neighborhood," starring Cedric the Entertainer and Max Greenfield, was one of the unlucky victims this year. If that wasn't bad enough, a planned spin-off for "The Neighborhood," focusing on the characters Marty and Malcolm, also got the boot recently.
CBS decided to let go of a bunch of shows in the 2025-2026 season, as viewers wave goodbye to "FBI: Most Wanted," "S.W.A.T.," "FBI: International," "The Summit," "Poppa's House," and "The Neighborhood." That's a lot of programming slots suddenly empty, with "Marty and Malcom" joining that sad number, as viewers won't get the full journey with Sheaun McKinney and Marcel Spears. The duo played Cedric's sons on "The Neighborhood," and the spin-off would have followed them as they moved out of their parents' house into Venice Beach. Viewers watched Cedric the Entertainer and Max Greenfield getting into hijinks since 2018, an eternity in modern TV time, and CBS thought that just wrapping things up would be for the best, along with the spin-off not moving forward.
"The brilliant cast and creative team at 'The Neighborhood,' led by the incomparable Cedric the Entertainer, have brought levity, laughter, and poignant storylines to Monday nights for seven incredible seasons," CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach explained in a statement. "'The Neighborhood' is a strong ratings performer for CBS and one of the top comedies on TV," she added. "We believe the show's loyal fans deserve a proper farewell season full of the trademark humor and heartfelt moments that are synonymous with the series."
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The Neighborhood's Marty & Malcolm Spin-Off Was Cancelled Because They're Closing The Book On The Franchise Altogether
The writing was on the wall for season 8 of "The Neighborhood," but the spin-off wouldn't be left out in the cold; CBS would wrap the pilot for "Marty and Malcolm" around the season 7 finale of the main show as a show of goodwill. Justin Long, Kara Royster, Hunter King, and Angelique Cabral were all supposed to star in "Marty and Malcolm" as the duo's new friends, with viewers getting a taste of their zany new life in the second half of the season finale. A tech billionaire, an aspiring influencer, and a cannabis content creator are the kind of wild houseguests that could have provided some real laughs, but it was never meant to be.
In a recent interview with TV Line, Cedric the Entertainer said that he was just happy that people would get to see the show, and if they liked what they saw, a letter campaign to CBS to revive the spin-off wouldn't hurt! The actor began, "I was disappointed, for sure. I want everybody to write in [to CBS], because I think people are going to see this season finale and be, like, 'That's a great show! Y'all should do that show!'"
Cedric added in the same interview, "I do recognize that we're in a very difficult time as far as television goes. We were excited about doing this. We created the idea, and we intentionally tried to use an episode of The Neighborhood that we had in order to shoot it." He also gestured towards the changing nature of TV as they are, "not doing a lot of pilots [anymore]." He continued, "They're not spending a lot of money ... they're just kind of workshopping ideas. We thought we did a great job, but ultimately there wasn't enough room in the budget for what we had."
Marty And Malcolm Isn't Happening, But The Neighborhood Actually Lives On With A Spin-Off On Paramount+
All of that news is a bit of a bummer, especially for those who liked the brief taste they got of "Marty and Malcolm," there is a spin-off from "The Neighborhood" to check out. Over on Paramount+, "Crutch" is actually continuing some of the fun from the Cedric the Entertainer show. Tracy Morgan is handling that spin-off after previously appearing on the CBS show, but as a different character than his previous role of Curtis Butler. This time, he's Francois "Frank" Crutchfield, Crutch for short, and he's a widower from Harlem who finds himself reintegrating his son and daughter into his home after they move back in out of the blue. This classic sitcom set-up, paired with Morgan's established name, is probably why "Crutch" made it out of the starting blocks.
Even with that silver lining, it's still sad that a show that is an outright success for CBS had to call it quits as a part of cost-cutting, and that meant a promising spin-off had to end up on the chopping block too. Cedric the Entertainer is absolutely right to mention the business side of TV in this case, as we've seen these cancellation announcements a lot within the past couple of months, with broadcasters only greenlighting the surest bets as they adjust to a world less focused on streaming. Maybe with the power of fan campaigns, "Marty and Malcolm" can be revived, but for now, it seems like the spin-off was a casualty of too much in other areas, and CBS is saddling all corners of their TV business with that outstanding bill.
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Read the original article on SlashFilm.
