Most Fans were surprised to learn that Nick Cannon’s daytime talk show got canceled just after one season. Here’s what happened.
Although most people know Nick Cannon as an actor or Tv host, the Hollywood star started his career as a comedian. As a teenager, he performed in well-known comedy clubs.
However, Nick made his breakout in the entertainment industry as an actor. His first foray into Tv came when he starred in Nickelodeon’s “All That.” Subsequently, Nick quickly became a writer for the studio due to his talents.
At just 17, he became the youngest staff writer and, before long, also started producing and directing. Nick began his self-titled show on the network called “The Nick Cannon Show.”
His acting credits continued with appearances in top-charting movies like “Men in Black II” and “Drumline” in 2002. Those were followed by “Love Don’t Cost a Thing,” “Shall We Dance,” “Roll Bounce,” and “Bobby” in 2006. His performance in “Bobby” earned him the “Breakthrough Actor of the Year Award” at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007. Nick returned to Tv in 2009, this time as the host of “America’s Got Talent.”
He stayed with the show and served as its host until 2017. In January 2019, Nick landed another gig, hosting the famous singing competition “The Masked Singer.”
Nick Cannon Debuts a New Talk Show
Nick surprised his fans in September 2021 when the multi-faceted entertainer added to his long list of roles when he announced his daytime talk show “Nick Cannon.” The veteran star joined the likes of Wendy Williams and Kelly Clarkson in running a self-titled daytime talk show.
However, the show’s debut episode didn’t receive much praise from critics. Instead, they questioned what new thing Nick would bring to the current roster of daytime talk shows.
Nick exhibited a casual vibe on the show while his masked audience shouted “Hey, Nick!” on beat with his theme song. The star also wrote and sang the song himself with the help of some of his kids.
The debut episode started with a few introductory segments, including wishes from Nick’s friends. Some stars who sent their good wishes included Terry Crews, Kenan Thompson, and Tyra Banks.
Afterward, he treated the audience to a clip of a prank played on Kevin Hart. He then brought his “gimme-a-break” bus, which featured massage therapists and champagne, to help a family of nurses who had worked hard during the pandemic. Finally, Nick closed the show with a sing-along while playing the piano.
Nick Cannon’s Talk Show Gets Cancelled
In March 2022, staffers at “The Nick Cannon Show” shockingly learned that the daytime talk show would not be returning for a second season. However, they had pre-taped enough episodes to ensure that the first season would finish as planned.
The show’s producers and crew felt surprised at the abrupt announcement because the original plan was for them to go on a five-week hiatus due to Nick’s busy schedule.
According to Variety, staffers would get paid for a couple of weeks, but the payment timeline remained unclear. Also, poor ratings played a role in the show’s cancellation. The co-presidents of the show’s producer-distributor Lionsgate, Ira Bernstein and Mort Marcus, released a statement that stated:
It’s never easy to cancel a production with clear potential, but after a great deal of deliberation and examining various options, we have made the difficult business decision to end production on ‘Nick Cannon.’”
Ira and Mort thanked Nick Cannon and the production team for their efforts. Then they announced plans to offer viewers original episodes of the show for the remainder of the season.
Earlier in the season, Nick had sadly announced the death of his seventh child son Zen. The father of six revealed the little kid, who he fathered with Alyssa Scott, had died of a brain tumor.
Nick Cannon’s Daytime Show Almost Didn’t Air
Although Nick’s daytime show got canceled after the first season, the show almost didn’t air at all. The show was initially scheduled to debut in 2020 but got pushed back after the star made anti-semitic comments on the radio.
During an episode of the “Cannon’s Class” podcast posted on June 23, 2020, Nick spoke with Richard Griffin, also known as Professor Griff, a former member of the rap group “Public Enemy.” While the two talked, Nick called Black people “the true Hebrews” and touched on anti-semitic conspiracy theories.
Griffin got pushed out of “Public Enemy” in the late 1980s due to his homophobic and anti-semitic comments in media interviews.
After the podcast aired, ViacomCBS immediately dropped the star, and the studio chided Nick for his comments. The media house also explained that they categorically denounced all forms of anti-Semitism.
Nick himself also apologized for his comments with a lengthy Facebook post. He wrote:
“I must apologize to my Jewish Brothers and Sisters for putting them in such a painful position, which was never my intention, but I know this whole situation has hurt many people, and we will make it right together.”
The father of six also declared he had made efforts to continue conversations to bring the Jewish and African American communities together.
