Comedy Central Cancels Tosh.0, Series Being Shopped to Other Networks

Tosh.0 is canceled at Comedy Central and the show is being shopped around for a new network home. This news comes as a surprise after it was renewed for four seasons not too long ago. Now, the final 10 episodes will air in September on Comedy Central according to The Hollywood Reporter. Back in January it looked like the Daniel Tosh-led show would run in perpetuity on the network. Tosh.0 will have run for 12 seasons and still had people tuning in for the reruns on Comedy Central. In fact, there is a PlutoTV channel where you can tune-in and catch nothing but the comedian's work if you're so inclined. ViacomCBS is currently working with Tosh's representation to shop the series to other outlets.

Some important context for this move lies in the fact that VIacomCBS has been trying to forge a new path with Comedy Central lately. Yesterday they canceled Drunk History, a beloved absurd series, as a part of the same directive. There are three pillars that Chris McCarthy, the ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group president, set for the network. 1) Adult Animation, 2) Topical series like The Daily Show, and 3) Comedic made-for-TV films. Along with those stated goals, the company has been quick to green light reboots of anything under the sun from the Viacom catalog.

Tosh said in a statement, "I look forward to doing an animated reboot of my show on MTV in 25 years."

ViacomCBS is making their gambit plain. With the streaming landscape becoming more crowded by the day, CBS All Access has become a top priority. (A quick perusal of an app store shows Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Apple TV, Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, and Quibi as just a few of the noteworthy challengers.) The brand is trying to bolster its streaming offerings to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the big boys. Before this year, All Access was largely comprised of some Viacom favorites along with Star Trek and CBS's numerous procedurals. But, after this year concludes, a lot of the content on offer will lineup with the previously stated pillars and legacy efforts.

Interestingly enough, Tosh.0 has been a top-ranking performer in the key 18-34 year old male demographic for the network every year it was on the air. It remains to be seen if viewers will bite on this change of direction. Going bold has paid off in the past, but the landscape is changing more and more by the day.

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