By Stone Martindale May 15, 2007, 1:51 GMT
George Lopez, the first Latino (not counting Desi Arnaz) to have a hit television series is upset. "TV just became really, really white again," he said to the Los Angeles Times.
03/31/2007 - George Lopez - ｩ Glenn Harris / Photorazzi
ABC, according to George, "unceremoniously" canceled his eponymous comedy, which over the years chronicled his own life from his tough childhood growing up with an rotten grandmother, to his health issues.
"The George Lopez Show" will make syndication, but that's not a salve for a hurting Lopez.
Lopez told the LAT that Steve McPherson, ABC president of prime-time entertainment, "called him over the weekend to explain that 'financially' it wasn't working out, that the network would lose money if it picked up the show again."
Lopez cited constant time slot shuffling and being pitted against American Idol as more reasons to prove the network's ambivalence.
Lopez also noted to the LAT that his show "out-performed two freshman comedies that were renewed: 'Notes from the Underbelly' and 'Knights of Prosperity.' "
"I値l take the good and the bad," Lopez said. "I took the five years of good and I did a lot with the good. My popularity, I was involved in charities, I overcame my illness, all on TV. I shared all of that with America容very secret I had. Every personal feeling. Every emotion. Everything was open to the show. And what happens?"
Lopez also blamed the fact the show was not "owned" by ABC Television Studios.
Lopez also had choice words over the "Caveman" series about two brothers and one best friend, described as sophisticated cave dudes living in modern-day Atlanta.
"I get kicked out for a...caveman and shows that I out-performed because I知 not owned by [ABC Television Studios]...So a...Chicano can稚 be on TV but a...caveman can?" Lopez said. "And a Chicano with an audience already? You know when you get in this that shows do not last forever, but this was an important show and to go unceremoniously like this hurts. One hundred seventy people lost their jobs."
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