‘Rap Sh!t’ and Other Canceled Black TV Shows That Deserve a Second Chance

Girlfriend‘s cancellation left fans in shock. The beloved sitcom followed the lives of a tight friend group: Joan (Traci Ellis Ross), Toni Childs (Jill Jones), Maya (Golden Brooks), and Lynn (Persia White) as they maneuvered through love, motherhood, careers, and friendships. The show ran for eight seasons, never receiving a proper finale and leaving fans without closure. The cancellation was due to the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America Strike. 

Since the show’s end in 2008, fans saw the girl group back in action as they reunited for the first time on ABC’s Black-ish. Upon the short-lived reunion, the question remains if the show would reboot or join together for a film. 

On the set of Black-ish, Charlamagne caught up with the early aughts girl group for an interview. “The last episode that we shot was during the writers’ strike. None of our regular crew and regular people were there. So there was no closure,” Ross said at the beginning of the clip. Jones chimed in, saying that Toni Childs was set to return for four episodes at the end of Season 8, seemingly to reconcile her friendship with Joan, but the plan never saw light. 

In a red carpet interview, per Associated Press, Ross spoke on whether fans can expect a reboot. “I’ve been saying yes for years. I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. I’ll be honest,” the actress said. “I have been saying yes for 10 years. We all have.” 

In November 2023, the show’s executive producer, Kelsey Grammer, was asked if the show had plans to make a comeback. “I would love to reboot ‘Girlfriends.’ Of course, it would probably be a different kind of show, but we got The Game back on, and that was wonderful,” he said, according to BET. “I think they should because I know many people who love that show and love those characters and would like to see them continue.”