NBC has decided to pull the plug on Mike O’Malley’s comedy series, Extended Family, after just one season. This cancellation comes as the network greenlights third seasons for Night Court and Lopez vs. Lopez, and orders Happy’s Place, starring Reba McEntire, to series.
Extended Family featured Jon Cryer and Abigail Spencer as Jim and Julia, a divorced couple navigating co-parenting their children in the family home. Their arrangement takes a turn when Julia starts a relationship with Trey (Donald Faison), the owner of Jim’s favorite sports team, adding a layer of complexity to their post-divorce family dynamic. The first season of the sitcom concluded in March after airing 13 episodes.
The show was a co-production of Lionsgate and Universal Television. Mike O’Malley not only created the series but also served as showrunner and executive producer, alongside Jon Cryer, Tom Werner, Wyc Grousbeck, Emilia Fazzalari, George Geyer, Victor Levin, Victoria Morrow, and James Widdoes.
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Extended Family‘s journey to television screens began in May 2022 when NBC ordered a pilot with Jon Cryer in consideration for a starring role. Donald Faison and Abigail Spencer joined the cast in June 2022, and the project was swiftly picked up for a series in September 2022. The series eventually premiered in December 2023, but its production schedule faced disruptions due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes in the previous year.
Before the strikes halted production, six episodes were completed. Production resumed swiftly after the strikes concluded, with Extended Family back in action just four days after the SAG-AFTRA strike ended, resulting in seven additional episodes.
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Earlier in the year, Mike O’Malley, known for creating Survivor’s Remorse, expressed optimism about the prospects for a second season of Extended Family. He acknowledged the unpredictable nature of the television industry, stating, “But I’ve been around long enough to know that 80 million things could happen between now and then.” O’Malley highlighted the show’s solid performance, noting, “I think our ratings have been good. Everyone in our business knows how hard it is to find stories, write stories, write episodes. The cast is unbelievable. We also have great kids. Everyone knows how hard it is to get a cast that feels like a family and is good at making sitcoms.” Despite this optimism and the strengths of the show, NBC has opted not to move forward with further seasons of Extended Family.
