Hollywood, CA — The second round of the Arsenio Hall Show has been canceled after CBS, the show’s network, says the ratings were just not high enough. The late night show averaged just 1 million viewers, which sounds like a lot, but is just not enough for a nightly show in that time slot.The show was competing with ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O’Brien on TBS, and other late night shows who all had a much higher viewership. Originally, back in February 2014, CBS agreed to renew the show for a second season but then changed their decision just a few months later.
Hall had a much longer run from 1989-1994, when his show ran for a solid five years. He is credited for being the very first African American late night talk show host, and for bringing rap and hip-hop to the mainstream platform when it was first emerging.
Regarding the cancellation, Hall commented, “We all knew it would be a challenge. I’m gratified for the year we’ve had and proud of the show we created.”
He later tweeted: “Thank you everybody for your support. The lights are off on stage 6, but you know me, I will never stop making you laugh. See you soon.” In another tweet, he said, “This is the first time I’ve ever hit a professional wall… and been unable to call up Doctor Angelou!”
CBS also released a statement saying, “While there are many loyal fans of the show, the series did not grow its audience enough to continue.”
Also, cancelled this year was Bethenny Frankel’s daytime show and Katie Couric’s show. Both were also cited for not enough viewers.