Why Did ‘Dharma & Greg’ Get Canceled?
Way before The Office made the mockumentary-style sitcom famous, the classic multicam sitcom ruled the airwaves. The TV show Dharma & Greg premiered during the peak of this era and was a rating juggernaut for a few years. The series concluded in 2002 in what seemed to have been an abrupt ending. So why did Dharma & Greg get canceled?
The premise of ‘Dharma & Greg’
Dharma & Greg revolved around the odd couple, Dharma Finkelstein and Greg Montgomery. The duo gets married on their first date despite having clashing opinions and personalities. Greg is a straight-laced lawyer, while Dharma is a yoga instructor and dog trainer.
Greg had a wealthy upbringing and attended prestigious schools like Stanford and Harvard. After graduation from these Ivy League schools, Greg went to work as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
On the other hand, Dharma was raised in a totally different manner. She was brought up by hippie parents and doesn’t exactly blend in with Greg’s lifestyle. Dharma and Greg meet and get married on their first date. Despite their different personalities, the pair get along well and complement one another. However, their conflicting views on several issues often lead to comical situations.
Why did ‘Dharma & Greg’ get canceled?
The series debuted on September 24, 1997, and was an instant hit, raking in 13.9 million viewers in its first season. Dharma & Greg maintained the ratings, with the third season being the most popular one averaging 15.76 million viewers. The fourth season saw a drastic decline in ratings which never recovered. The show’s last episode raked in 6.8 million viewers.
The fourth season’s rating decline was due to its competing timeslot with Fraiser. As a result, Dharma & Greg suffered. While ratings played a significant role in why the network canceled the popular show, Looper gives a different reason.
The regular network T.V. season typically begins with the U.S. school year in September. The Sept. 11, 2001 attacks saw a drastic delay and change in releases and syndication. Many scheduled premieres were pushed back to focus on news coverage.
Although the setback hit most shows hard, sitcoms perhaps suffered the most. The darkness of the aftermath didn’t lend itself to light-hearted sitcoms. The show was canceled in 2002 after five years on the air.
However, the characters returned in another way. Another Chuck Lorre production, Two and a Half Men, premiered the following year. Dharma and Greg appeared in the episode “Nice To Meet You, Walden Schmidt” as a bickering couple attending Charlie Sheen’s character Charlie Harper’s funeral. Due to copyright issues, the actor’s appearances were uncredited.
There are no plans for a ‘Dharma & Greg’ reboot
The last decade has seen the return of several shows from the ’00s sitcom air. However, there are no plans for a Dharma & Greg reboot in sight. In 2017, Jenna Elfman, who played Dharma spoke to Access Hollywood, saying she tried reaching out to everyone to see if a revival was in the cards.
She noted that everyone was busy. Thomas Gibson (Greg) found fame on Criminal Minds, though he was later fired. After Imaginary Mary, Elfman found her way to Fear the Walking Dead, and maintains main cast member status on the AMC show.
