Detroiterswas a Comedy Central series canceled after its second season on the network. The show starredTim Robinsonand Sam Richardson, who also co-created the series and took inspiration from their own lives. Both men started out doing stand-up and sketch comedy in the Detroit area, and when putting together the show, decided to film locally as well.
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Why Comedy Central Canceled Detroiters
Comedy Central Cites Ratings As The Reason For Cancelation
When Comedy Central canceledDetroiters, it was four months after the final episode of season 2 aired on the network - at least, it seemed that way to fans. According to anIndiewireinterview with Tim Robinson,those behind the show actually knew it was canceled just two days after the season 2 finale aired. He explained:
I think Comedy Central wanted to take it to another [network], and that’s why they didn’t announce it right away. [But] it went on, and on, and on, and we weren’t hearing anything. It got to the point where it was frustrating for Sam and I to be asked all the time if it’s coming back, and then having to be dodgy about that question because you’re able to’t say it’s canceled.
Indiewirereached out to the network, and a spokesperson revealed that multiple factors were considered when the decision was made to cancel the show, but that ratings were the real deciding factor. There simply were not enough people watching the show.
Detroiters premiered to an audience of about 447,000 (viaShowBuzzDaily). By the season 2 finale, the show had about half that number of viewers (also viaShowBuzzDaily). Those are not the kind of numbers that can compete with network television where views are in the millions.
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Sam Richardson Was Unhappy With Detroiters' Cancelation
Richardson Has Spoken About The Series Ending At Length
All of that combined to make it hard forDetroitersto even retain the viewers they had in the first season, let alone build on that audience.
Though Richardson was carefully choosing his words when the show first ended in hopes thatComedy Centralwould be able to find someone else to pick the show up for a third season, he did make it clear that he was not happy with the choice made by the network. Richardson once toldThe Guardianhe believedthe show did not get the chance it was promised to thrive:
It didn’t get the respect from the network that it deserved, or the chance that it was promised.
This echoes comments made during the previously mentioned report fromIndiewire. Richardson pointed out that the second season of the show, which saw viewership decline so much, was originally filmed and edited in time to air in February, but Comedy Central opted to hold the series for a few months and roll it out as a summer season. Richardson toldIndiewirehe thought then, “That seems like a death dagger.” He was not wrong.
He also pointed out, however, thatthe show did not get the advertising they expected, which meant the audience did not know when to find the show live.They also ran into problems with audience members trying to stream the showafter the initial airing:
Of course, it was not just those running the series that were advocating for the show to be saved at the time. Seth Meyers even penned an editorial forVulturein which he put out a public request for someone else to pick up the show, callingDetroiters, “the most brilliantly stupid TV show.”
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What Sam Richardson & Tim Robinson Are Up To Now
Sam Richardson And Tim Robinson Have Not Slowed Down
Despite the cancelation ofDetroiters, which was clearly a labor of love for the two actors, neither of them has slowed down since. They’ve both continued working in comedy together and apart, as well as booked a ton of voice over work sinceDetroitersended.
Sam Richardsonhas been in a number of well known projects including voicing Norville in the animated seriesVelmaand Munnin inRise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He also appeared in the moviesPromising Young WomanandHocus Pocus 2.Richardson’s projects have all been drastically different in tone and audience, allowing him to show off his skills as a character actor.
Tim Robinson had a cameo inScream VI, but like Richardson, he has also been appearing in a variety of different roles. He has voiced characters inBig City Greens,The Simpsons, andHuman Resources.Robinson also created and stars in the seriesI Think You Should Leave, which allowed him to reunite with Richardson, who has appeared in the series with him multiple times.
I Think You Should Leaveis a sketch comedy series in which the main character (usually played by Robinson) ends up in an embarrassing social situation. It relies on even more cringe comedy thanDetroitersdid, but it still allows Richardson and Robinson to make us all laugh again.
