Arts & Culture BET Pulls ‘Reed Between the Lines’
January 09, 2014
LAWT WIRE SERVICES
Despite filming it’s entire second season, the plug has been pulled for BET’s “Reed Between the Lines.”
The show’s star, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, confirmed the network’s decision to not air the sophomore season in an email to AccessAtlanta.com.
“There’s really not much to say about ‘Reed Between The Lines,” the actor wrote. “BET decided not the air the second season, even though it was shot. As a result, there’s really nothing to say about the show.”
A BET spokeswoman did not answer questions concerning the status of “Reed Between the Lines” or the reason behind the cancellation, AccessAtlanta noted.
“None of us were happy to hear [the cancellation.] They had their reasons, a lot of which I don’t understand,” Warner expressed to the site during a follow-up interview. “I thought it was a great execution of dealing with a guy who thought he had a perfect family and marriage only to find out there were issues along the way.”
News of the cancellation officially puts the cap on “Reed Between the Lines.” The series, which also starred Tracee Ellis Ross centered around a happily married couple (Warner and Ross) and their children. Although it featured two TV veterans, “Reed Between the Lines failed to become a certified hit as it averaged about 1 million viewers.
Things further went downhill after Ross decided to leave the show after the first season aired in 2012. Ross’ departure did not prevent BE from greenlighting the shooting of the entire second season in the fall of that year. Without Ross, the show went in a new direction with Felicia D. Henderson being brought in as the new executive producer. Henderson’s vision for “Reed Between the Lines” included a long-distance marriage where Warner’s character Alex taking care of the children after Ross’ character moved to California to take a new job.
In September 2012, Henderson revealed to AccessAtlanta that she wanted to portray Alex as a good role model as a single dad and caregiver, in addition to having Alex leave the house and start teaching on location, rather than be an online professor.
Henderson also expressed a desire to focus on three generations of men who are “interesting, intelligent, positive but flawed men” with the inclusion of Alex’s father, played by Charles Robinson and two childhood friends, which included a character played by Tony Rock.
BET’s passing on the second season of “Reed Between the Lines” doesn’t signal the end of Warner’s time on the small screen. This past Monday, the entertainer guest starred on an episode of “Major Crimes” on TNT.