From The Asian Reporter, V29, #22 (November 18, 2019),
pages 7 & 13.
ABC’s "Fresh Off the Boat" series finale set
for February
By Lynn Elber
AP Television Writer
LOS ANGELES — ABC’s "Fresh Off the Boat," the first network
TV comedy in two decades to focus on an Asian-American family,
is coming to an end after six seasons.
The network said the sitcom starring Randall Park and
Constance Wu will wrap with an hour-long finale on February 21,
making this a truncated last season.
The show about a couple and their three children in 1990s
Florida is based on chef Eddie Huang’s memoir of the same name.
In a statement, ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke
lauded the show as "game-changing" with its focus on an
Asian-American family.
While the TV industry has gradually embraced diversity, it’s
been slow to include characters of Asian descent in the mix.
Comedian Margaret Cho’s "All-American Girl" ended in 1995 after
one season.
A possible spinoff with characters to be introduced on "Fresh
Off the Boat" is being considered. It would focus on an Indian
family whose daughter is one of Eddie’s (Hudson Yang)
classmates.
Wu, who starred in Crazy Rich Asians, apologized
earlier this year for a Twitter outburst lamenting the show’s
renewal this season.
She said it was an emotional reaction to having to pass on a
passion project because it conflicted with "Fresh Off the Boat."
The comedy that airs at 8:30pm Friday is averaging 3.1
million weekly viewers for the season to date, making it No. 69
out of about 80 network programs. Its direct competition
includes "Hawaii Five-0" on CBS, which is drawing nearly triple
the audience and ranks 26th for the season so far, according to
Nielsen. |