Daytime TV’s biggest shakeups in recent years were largely tied to the drama surrounding The Wendy Williams Show, which wrapped its 13-year run in 2022 in light of the host’s personal health issues. Now, CBS’ The Talk is in the middle of a bevy of speculation over whether or not the long-running chat show is in danger of joining all the other shows canceled in 2024, with some fans convinced the end is nigh. And while some viewers don’t seem too pleased, quite a few are calling the situation ironic, given the way The Talk came into existence.
Why Do Fans Think The Talk Might Be Canceled Soon?
Thankfully, there doesn’t appear to be any major behind-the-scenes drama between Jerry O’Connell, Sheryl Underwood or any of The Talk’s lineup of hosts, but that’s obviously not the only reason why TV shows get axed. In this case, the rumors are tied to CBS recently unveiling its partnership with the NAACP and P&G Studios for the development of a new soap opera currently titled The Gates.
The new project, according to Deadline, is set to center on a wealthy Black family living it up within an affluence-showcasing gated community. It’s the creation of the Daytime Emmy-winning writer Michele Val Jean, who has so far penned literally thousands of soap opera episodes for such iconic series as General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful.
Now, if The Talk was doing boffo numbers and crushing the competition with daily ease, this might be a different conversation. But in terms of where CBS' daytime offerings currently stand: The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful are #1 and #2 in daytime TV, respectively, with Y&R getting a four-season renewal in February. Beyond those, we're talking Let's Make a Deal and The Price Is Right, which are both still putting up solid numbers, and are morning institutions at this point. So unless someone adds a wholly new hour of time to daytime, The Talk seems to be the most expendable program.
Should The Gates actually move forward, it’ll be the first new soap in quite a while, with networks far more likely to cancel such stalwart projects these days. At this point, only three are still airing on broadcast TV, while Days of Our Lives is streaming with a Peacock subscription. So should it happen, it could inspire others to go down the same creative path, leading to a new boom in small-screen suds.
Why Do Fans Think The Talk's Cancellation Would Be A "Karma" Situation?
The Talk first came into existence back in 2009 as a general pitch from Roseanne vet and future The Conners lead Sara Gilbert. This was right around the time when CBS canceled the beloved soap opera As the World Turns specifically with the intent of replacing it with something less dramatic and more breezy. Nearly 15 years later, it's still quite obviously a sore subject for certain sectors of the audience that haven't let that transgression slide.
While there are certainly some takes that call out Sharon Osbourne's ousting or Amanda Kloots' hiring (or several other reasons) as proof of why The Talk deserves to end soon, As the World Turns was a constant reference point for those aiming to point out the irony of TV cycles. Here's a smattering of those comments:
- Wouldn't it be ironic if they cancel The Talk for the Gates after ATWT was canceled because of The Talk - @Elizacanfield
- Many people think CBS is looking at axing The Talk. So, here's the irony. ATWT canceled & "replaced" by The Talk & it may be canceled & replaced by what's that you say? A new soap!!! - @shallotpeel
- Well if #TheGates does happen (and I hope it does) #TheTalk is definitely the one that can go especially after @CBS did #AsTheWorldTurns wrong. - @k50cullen
- What goes around comes around. As much as I like the talk, Now. In order to be on, they replaced ATWT. So only fitting, They would be replaced by a soap and I'm ok with that. - @WDM50
- I watched ATWT for over 30 years starting in the early eighties, l literally got sick to my stomach when they cancelled it, l did watch a few episodes of the Talk, but that was it - @AmandaBalaguer
To be fair, though, there was this one guy who amusedly stood on the opposite end of Opinion Street from many of the others sharing their thoughts on social media.
- Lol I'm in the reverse position. Never seen ATWT or GL. Only started watching the timeslot when the talk came in. - @ByrdMan2128
For now, CBS has yet to make any specific announcements about whether or not The Talk will remain part of the 2024 TV season. So fans can continue to watch every weekday afternoon.
