Betty White: 3 of Her Sitcoms That Were Cancelled Too Soon

The world is mourning the loss of beloved TV legend Betty White. The star died at the age of 99 on Dec. 31. White will always be remembered by fans for her work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls, and Hot in Cleveland. However, she also had several other series that were canceled abruptly.

‘The Betty White Show’ lasted only 14 episodes in 1977

After the cancellation of The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1977, White starred in The Betty White Show. The sitcom had White playing Joyce Whitman, an actor who reunites with her ex-husband John Elliot (John Hillerman) on a TV series. Hilarity ensues as the bickering exes work together while their co-stars are caught in the middle.

The CBS comedy was a fixture on Monday nights; however, it faced tough competition from Monday Night Football. After 14 episodes, the series was cancelled in January 1978. Coincidentally the final episode consists of Joyce and John learning their show was cancelled.

‘Maybe This Time’ had an all-star cast

White is close friends with The Osmonds, and in 1995 she teamed with Marie Osmond for the ABC sitcom Maybe This Time. Osmond’s character is a divorced mother raising a daughter and running the bakery. White plays Osmond’s mother, who helps with the bakery and can’t resist meddling in her daughter’s love life.

The ABC sitcom was a hit with its Friday night debut; however, the switch to Saturday caused the rating to falter. In February 1996, the series aired its final episode.

Betty White played an opinionated mother on ‘Ladies Man’

White tends to play quick-witted and opinionated characters. In 1999, she played Alfred Molina’s mother on the CBS series Ladies Man. Molina’s character Jimmy Stiles has his life overrun by the ladies in his life. Aside from his mother, Jimmy also has to deal with his wife, Donna Stiles (Sharon Lawrence), ex-wife Claire Stiles (Park Overall), and his two daughters.

The series had an all-star cast, including a young Kaley Cuoco playing Jimmy’s daughter. The show also had a reunion with White and her former The Golden Girls co-stars Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty. Yet, McClanahan and Getty’s guest stints weren’t enough to save Ladies Man, which was cancelled after two seasons.