Why Was ‘The Hughleys’ Canceled?
If you were old enough in the ’90s, you might remember the TV show The Hughleys. The series starred comedian D.L. Hughley as Darryl Hughley, a successful Black businessman who relocates his family from South Central to a white suburb in California’s San Fernando Valley. He and his family try to embrace their new lives without forgetting who they are. The series also starred Elise Neal, Dee Jay Daniels, Ashley Monique Clark, and John Henton.
Created by the comedian and Matt Wickline (In Living Color), The Hughleys became one of the funniest and most relatable shows of its time. It would last for four seasons on ABC and UPN before being canceled in 2002.
Why ‘The Hughleys’ got canceled
The Hughleys got off to a strong start when it landed on ABC in 1998, thanks in part due to its time slot after the Tim Allen hit Home Improvement. But, as The Tampa Bay Times notes, after it was moved to another day, ratings plummeted. The show ended up being canceled after two seasons as a result, per The Los Angeles Times.
Fortunately, it was saved by the now-defunct UPN. At the time, UPN was known for a host of black-centered comedies such as Moesha, The Parkers, and Girlfriends. It would air The Hughleys for two more seasons before axing it once again due to alleged low ratings. The final episode of The Hughleys aired at the beginning of 2002.
The Deseret News reports the show was replaced by Half & Half, a comedy featuring Essence Atkins and Rachel True as half-sisters who meet as adults and become closer over time.
‘It was exhausting’
Of course, D.L. Hughley was grateful for the opportunity to do a show. But he wasn’t exactly sad that it was over.
“I was exhausted,” he told VladTV of how he felt at the time. “It was exhausting. I was tired. But here’s the thing: By the time it was over, I felt like we had said everything I knew to say. I loved those people … so I got everything I could out of it. And it was just time to [end it]. I felt like we had done all we could, and it was a blessing to be able to do it.”
“At the same time we were doing The Hughleys, I was doing The Kings of Comedy,” he continued, referring to the stand-up comedy tour he did with Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and the late Bernie Mac. “So it was a whole different thing. So I just felt like it was time to go and that I had really done something I was proud of. And I had relationships that would carry me for a lifetime, so I was proud and satisfied.”
D.L. Hughley now
After the show ended, Hughley continued to work in television, movies, and even radio. More recently, it was announced that he would star in another show inspired by his life.
Variety reports it’s a Fox series that centers around the comedian as he “navigates life as a husband and father to an LGBTQ+ daughter, a son on the autism spectrum whose white girlfriend lives with them, and another daughter who can’t leave his credit card alone.” No title or release date has been shared, as of writing.
