I thought Travis Wolfe Jr. and a handful of other cast were leaving Bob Hearts Abishola until I learned the real story. Bob Hearts Abishola is a CBS sitcom that ran from 2019 to 2024, starring Billy Gardell as the titular Robert "Bob" Wheeler, and Folake Olowofoyeku as the titular Abishola Bolatito Doyinsola Oluwatoyin Wheeler, whom Bob "hearts". The owner of his family's successful compression sock business in Detroit, Bob is a divorced man who has a chance encounter with Abishola and immediately falls head over heels despite their many differences.

Bob and Abishola are surrounded by an ensemble of characters, including Bamidele "Dele" Babatunde Adebambo, played by Travis Wolfe Jr. Dele is the teenage son of Abishola and her ex-husband, Tayo (Dayo Ade). Despite his parents' concerns, Dele unabashedly pursues his ion for dancing, eventually getting accepted into NYU to study choreography. He's a funny character in a cast of them, so when I saw his billing change in Bob Hearts Abishola season 5, I was disappointed, but thankfully, it turned out he was not leaving.

Travis Wolfe Jr. & 10 Other Bob Abishola Cast Were Downgraded To Recurring Guest Stars In Season 5

Only Bob And Abishola Remained A Part Of The Main Cast

In April 2023, Bob Hearts Abishola made the very unusual choice to downgrade 11 actors in its main cast of 13 down to recurring roles. Everyone, save for Bob and Abishola, became recurring characters. This contract also meant the cast were reduced to five-episode guaranteed contracts for season 5. Bayo Akinfemi, who plays Goodwin Aderibigbe Olayiwola, gave a candid response about the cast restructuring, saying (via NYT),

"It was a bit surprising, for all of 10 seconds. We are disappointed, but we also understand at the end of the day it's a business."

Season 5 was truncated as it were, with only 13 episodes, and the recurring characters lost pay on those episodes they missed. All 11 of the actors chose to stay with Bob Hearts Abishola, despite the demotion, and Akinfemi's manager, Tash Moseley said,

"These actors are attached to good, important, groundbreaking work. I think they knew that the actors would come back and do it no matter what."

Akinfemi, Christine Ebersole, Matt Jones, Maribeth Monroe, Vernee Watson, Shola Adewusi, Barry Shabaka Henley, Travis Wolfe Jr., Bayo Akinfemi, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, and Gina Yashere were all the actors reduced to recurring roles. We don't know why exactly production made this decision, but at the time, networks and shows were cutting back industry-wide. Another CBS show, Blue Bloods, faced money problems, which required the cast to take a 25% cut. Superman & Lois and All American: Homecoming also saw their budgets and full-time cast reduced.

Channing Dungey, the chairwoman and chief executive of Warner Bros. Television Studios, said at the time,

"This is something that’s happening across the board. There are a number of different shows, both on CBS and elsewhere, where the same kinds of considerations are coming into play."

It may not have been personal, but it's still a bad sign for the state of network TV where shows are struggling to stay afloat, even those that seem popular. Actors in NBC's Chicago P.D. and Chicago Fire were guaranteed appearances in fewer episodes for the 2024 seasons as well.

Bob Hearts Abishola Season 5 Was The Sitcom's Last

CBS Canceled The Series Soon After They Canceled Young Sheldon

Sadly, Bob Hearts Abishola season 5 was the show's last, and Bob Hearts Abishola season 6 never materialized. In November 2023, three months before season 5 aired, CBS announced that it would be the show's last (via TheWrap). The news came right after it was announced that another Chuck Lorre-produced show was ending, Young Sheldon. Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, said in a press release,

"We are so proud to call 'Bob Hearts Abishola' a CBS comedy as it helped establish a new generation of programming at the network. This series expertly showcased a family love story and workplace comedy about the immigrant experience with heartfelt humor and emotion while also authentically portraying Nigerian culture. It’s a testament to the incomparable Chuck Lorre, the amazing creative team led by Al Higgins, Gina Yashere and Matt Ross, and the talents of Billy Gardell, Folake Olowofoyeku and the entire cast for making this show and its characters come to life and resonate with viewers. We plan to celebrate it this spring and give fans the most amazing episodes to it by."

Five seasons is still a healthy length for any TV show, and the series' success in that time should be celebrated, averaging over 6 million viewers for its run. Billy Gardell, Folake Olowofoyeku, Travis Wolfe Jr., and the other cast of Bob Hearts Abishola can hang their hats on the fact that they at least got a finale, unlike some other series that were axed mid-season.