Disney Cancels Hit ABC Sitcom After 10 Seasons

Ten years ago, Disney and ABC introduced viewers to the Goldbergs, a Jewish family living in a suburb of Philadelphia in the 1980s. The Goldbergs was based loosely on the life of creator Adam Goldberg and starred Wendi McLendon-Covey as Beverly Goldberg, Sean Giambrone as Adam Goldberg, Troy Gentile as Barry Goldberg, Hayley Orrantia as Erica Goldberg, George Segal as Albert Solomon, and Jeff Garlin as Murray Goldberg. The characters in the show were all named after Adam Golderg’s actual family members.

The show, which premiered in 2013, received mixed reviews from critics and fans in its first season, but its second season saw a meteoric rise, with both critics and fans loving the direction it was moving in. Over the years, The Goldbergs has also been nominated for numerous awards.

While the show has maintained a steady following, things have not been smooth sailing. In 2021, George Segal, who played Adam Goldberg’s grandfather, sadly passed away in Santa Rosa, California, at the age of 87. That same year, Jeff Garlin was abruptly fired from the show after allegations about disturbing on-set behavior came to light. Garlin was fired during season nine and was officially killed off the show in season 10.

Here’s more on why Disney and ABC may have decided to cancel the hit show after a decade on air, per The Hollywood Reporter.

With ABC now having a hit in Quinta Brunson’s Abbott Elementary, the network no longer has a need for The Goldbergs as Disney looks to lower costs on broadcast and pivot to more optimistic originals in line with its newly minted awards juggernaut.

Further complicating matters is the fact that creator Goldberg left the series a few years ago after he exited his long-running overall deal at Sony Pictures Television for a sizable deal with Disney, where he is readying a new take on The Muppets. With Goldberg and his home videos no longer at the helm of the series, the show has struggled to find creative stories that hit home in the same fashion as the heartfelt ones based on its creator’s adolescence.

In addition to losing two of its stars, it became increasingly expensive to license things for the show, which was also seeing a decline in its ratings. According to sources who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney and ABC made the decision to cancel The Goldbergs on Thursday, February 23. Immediately after the decision was made, the show’s creatives and stars were informed that they would not be back for season 11.

While The Goldbergs may not be returning to ABC, Adam Goldberg will be continuing to work with Disney, as he is serving as executive producer of The Muppets Mayhem — a show about The Muppets band, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, as they record their first-ever album.