MELISSA AND JOEY Not Returning for Fifth Season

When I saw this news last night, I was pretty sad. Melissa and Joey was the first sitcom in many a long year that I have enjoyed. It was hilariously funny, sweet, and just plain good, clean fun. I am not clear on exactly why ABC Family has decided to drop one of their more popular sitcoms. Something about rebranding and wanting to target older women. Whatever. The point is, there are so few really enjoyable sitcoms on TV today, and Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence were so much fun to watch together that this cancellation news is just leaving me sad.

According to ABC Family exec vp programming and development Karey Burke, “Now that the kids are grown and Mel and Joe have married and are looking toward starting a family, it seemed like a natural time to bring the series to a close.” I don’t know if they’re out of ideas or just simply don’t want to go on any more, but it seemed to me that the writers could have had more fun with Mel and Joe. I mean, the show was called “Melissa and Joey”, not “Melissa and Joey and Ryder and Lennox”.

Perhaps Mel and Joe, as the series’ producers, simply want to move on to other things? I don’t know, what are your thoughts?

Melissa and Joey will finish off their fourth season this summer.