Television is a numbers game — the higher a program’s ratings, the higher the advertising rates and the more profitable the network becomes.
In that respect, George Lopez’s show, “Lopez Tonight” has lost its luster, and TBS is pulling the plug. The Aug. 11 taping will be Lopez’s last show.
“Lopez Tonight” lost 40 percent of its viewing audience during the second season. Behind the scenes, the show’s time slot change may have added to its rapid decline; last year, it was pushed back to a later time slot to accommodate Conan O’Brien’s talk show, “Conan.“
Conan has consistently averaged 1 million viewers since its debut on TBS last year.
In a public statement, TBS said: “TBS has reached the difficult decision not to order a third season of ‘Lopez Tonight.’ We are proud to have partnered with George Lopez, who is an immensely talented comedian and entertainer. TBS has valued its partnership with George and appreciates all of his work on behalf of the network, both on and off the air.”
Celebrities, including comedienne Roseanne Barr and Holly Robinson Peete, co-host of the CBS show “The Talk” have tweeted their support for Lopez, who has not made a statement as of press time.
“NOOOOOO BOOOOO!” Peete Tweeted; Barr wrote, “so sorry to hear of your cancellation — you are great!”
“Lopez Tonight” was the only network late-night talk show hosted by a Latino.
