Fall TV season is shortly approaching, however the present WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike imply that many returning reveals aren’t on the schedule, and that features CBS comedy Bob Hearts Abishola. The sitcom’s absence from CBS’ Fall 2023 TV schedule is simply the newest growth, as information broke again within the spring that the forged of 13 sequence regulars from Season 4 was being bumped down to simply two for Season 5. Now, forged member Bayo Akinfemi has opened up about CBS chopping pay, hours, and episodes.
Stars Billy Gardell and Folake Olowofoyeku – a.okay.a. the titular Bob and Abishola – are the one forged members who will retain sequence common standing, with the remainder supplied recurring roles for the 13-episode fifth season. Previous to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Bayo Akinfemi, who has performed Goodwin Aderibigbe Olayiwola since Season 1, spoke to The New York Instances in regards to the scenario, saying:
It was a bit shocking, for all of 10 seconds. We’re dissatisfied, however we additionally perceive on the finish of the day it’s a enterprise.
The adjustments imply that Bayo Akinfemi and the remainder of his castmates who’ve been bumped down from sequence common standing will nonetheless be paid the identical quantity per episode, however it will not be for each episode of the fifth season no matter whether or not or not they seem. They are going to be paid for every episode that they seem in, and are assured solely 5 of the 13 episodes. Irrespective of how Bob Hearts Abishola resolves the Season 4 finale cliffhanger, the sitcom is getting into a brand new period.
Along with Bayo Akinfemi, Christine Ebersole, Matt Jones, Maribeth Monroe, Vernee Watson, Shola Adewusi, Barry Shabaka Henley, Travis Wolfe Jr., Bayo Akinfemi, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, and Gina Yashere have been all diminished from sequence common to recurring roles. Bob Hearts Abishola additionally is not the one CBS present considerably affected by funds cuts.
Blue Bloods was renewed for Season 14 with the expectation of a decrease funds, which included stars like Donnie Wahlberg agreeing to take a pay lower. Bob Hearts Abishola and Blue Bloods in any other case haven’t got a lot in frequent, however each present that CBS was taking measures to decrease prices even earlier than the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes started.
This additionally is not a difficulty solely affecting CBS reveals. Elsewhere on the small display screen, Superman & Lois‘ renewal for Season 4 got here with a discount down to 10 episodes, with simply 5 actors anticipated to stay on board as sequence regulars. The remainder could seem as visitor stars or recurring roles, however that has not but been confirmed.
On the NBC entrance, the community handed down the anticipated renewals for the hit One Chicago and Legislation & Order reveals, however with the unlucky information that sequence regulars will seem in fewer episodes of the 2023-2024 season. That does not imply that they’re going to solely be recurring (or that Chicago P.D.‘s cliffhanger will lead to an early Season 11 dying for one character), and SVU was lacking stars from episodes all through the twenty fourth season, however change is on the way in which.
After all, it might be a while earlier than followers see all of those adjustments. The strikes imply that almost all scripted reveals will not be capable to return within the Fall 2023 TV schedule with new episodes, with the exceptions of sequence like NBC’s Quantum Leap and Magnum P.I., each of which already had episodes accomplished previous to the start of the strikes. Magnum was initially anticipated to return in midseason 2024.
As for Bob Hearts Abishola… effectively, it may very well be months earlier than any extra information about what the fifth season will appear like with such a diminished forged of regulars. Within the meantime, you possibly can revisit the fourth season streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.
