BET has pulled the plug on “The Rundown with Robin Thede,” the weekly late-night comedy series that debuted last October.
“Rundown” gave Thede a platform as the only African-American female host in late-night TV. The half-hour series served up a mix of headlines, sketches, field pieces and short documentary segments.
“At this time BET Networks has decided not to renew ‘The Rundown with Robin Thede.’ We have so much love and respect for our Unicorn and look forward to finding ways to continue in partnership with Robin,” BET said in a statement.
“Rundown” drew strong reviews from the start. But the lack of renewal news after the show wrapped its initial 24-episode run in April was a sign that BET was wavering on a second season.
Thede financed the pilot for the show in partnership with Jax Media before it was set up at BET. “Rundown” was also notable for the diversity among its largely female production staff.
“I’m thankful that BET took a chance on me and the show,” Thede told Variety. “I’m already in development on several other projects and I’m looking forward to hosting the TCA Awards on August 4.”
A seasoned comedy writer, Thede was previously head writer and a panelist on Comedy Central’s “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.” She developed the concept for “Rundown” shortly after “Nightly Show” was canceled in August 2016.
