With the arrival of Man with a Plan on Netflix, fans have begun looking towards Netflix in the hopes of reviving the show that was cut loose from CBS earlier this year after 4 seasons at the network. Is it possible? Let’s take a look.
Featuring Matt LeBlanc, the sitcom follows a man who discovers the hardships of raising his kids once his wife returns to the workplace. While the show didn’t do too hot with the critics, it built a good fanbase who eventually adored the series.
It consistently pulled it good ratings for CBS although it’s only around a half of what Big Bang Theory spin-off Young Sheldon pulls in.
The series was available exclusively on CBS All Access up until Netflix managed to snag the rights to share it with CBS All Access on September 30th, 2020.
With all four seasons on Netflix, that has led some to suggest Netflix could and perhaps should pick the show up and continue where CBS left off.
Why was the show canceled? Well, Deadline seems to suggest that despite having steady viewership as we mentioned above, Matt LeBlanc’s salary could’ve been a key reason. Also, it’s worth considering that production woes have hit most of the CBS lineup due to COVID-19.
The cancelation of Man with a Plan came alongside the cancelation of a number of shows from the network including pilots that had been canceled too. One that stands out is The Lincoln Lawyer that had the rug pulled out from it before the pilot got going although recent reports suggest Netflix is set to get that.
So, does the show have any chance of being bought back? Well, in recent years, CBS hasn’t licensed out as much content as they used to. This year, though in lui of the pandemic, Netflix has managed to pick up a number of CBS licenses (and movies from Paramount) to help fill the holes in its lineup due to COVID-19. Unfortunetely, that looks like what Man with a Plan was picked up for rather than signaling a return in the future.
Having said that, there’s clearly a hole for a good sitcom on Netflix with Grace & Frankie wrapping up next year and the other big sitcom, Fuller House already having wrapped up.
One big barrier is that Netflix only picked up the rights in the US thus far and not internationally.
https://twitter.com/lordcaesar5150/status/1262744980054933508
Dear @netflix, please continue with seasons of Man with a Plan!#manwithaplan #netflix
— irvin gonzalez (@irvin_g71) September 30, 2020
What do you think? Should Netflix look into continuing Man with a Plan? Is it worth saving? Let us know in the comments.
