After just one season, Reed Between the Lines, an original sitcom on BET, is losing its leading lady Tracee Ellis Ross. Ross played Carla, a mother of 3 children, a career woman, and a wife to Malcolm Jamal Warner’s character, Alex Reed. Rumors had been surfacing for a while now, and Ross announced her departure from the show in an official statement to the LA Times.
It doesn’t seem that Ross left with any hard feelings. In her statement, she stated that Reed Between the Lines is “a show I believe in and care about” and hinted that she may return down the line. BET’s president of original programming and news, Loretha Jones, commented, “We wish her nothing but the best and hope to work with her again in the future.”
This is disappointing to hear, as Reed Between the Lines was seen as a modern day Cosby Show, showcasing a positive black family unit. Since Ross is departing, the executive producers of the show, Mara Brock-Akil and Salim Akil, have not chosen to recast the role of Carla, rather, they will have Alex become a single father of three after a sudden separation from his wife.
This departure also comes a few months after one of BET’s highest rated programs, The Game, loses their leading twosome, Pooch Hall and Tia Mowry-Hardrict, with many viewers saying without the main characters, they will no longer be tuning in.
Will you continue to watch Reed Between the Lines when it returns summer of 2013? Do you believe the show will still be a positive view of black families without the mom role present?
The show isn’t that good anyway. It tries too hard to be Cosby, which is part of the problem IMHO. Ross still doesn’t give a reason for her departure.
Why are all the good & decent losing our best actors & actress
The show wasn’t good to me. I tried to watch it but it didn’t hold my attention. I didn’t see it as a modern day Cosby Show. It was just too boring. I’m gonna try it again and see how it is without her. As for the Game, that’s a great show. Hopefully it still is without Pooch and Tia.
I agree 100%. The show was unwatchable.
Pooch is returning and the Game is WACK now IMO. I am no longer a fan of the show since it moved to BET I knew it was going to go downhill. They changed the format and characters to much for me.
I knew Reed Between the Lines was going to suck once I heard the cast line up. I LOVE both of them as actors but I knew they wouldn’t have any chemistry and I was right. I want to see a good black/funny/positive TV show.
Let’s be real. At times, “The Cosby Show” was boring too. Just look at the reruns. Sometimes there wasn’t a problem to solve, and we just watched them go about their lives. It was a good show for the time, and we were just happy to see some positive Black folk on TV…a good-looking, well-to-do, Black family loving each other. Also, in high school, I could check out the girls’ hairstyles and clothes and try to do something similar.
Regarding “Reed Between the Lines”, I definitely don’t think that a separation between the husband and wife storyline is the way to go.
1. This is a second marriage for the wife.
2. She’s a psychologist. If anybody is going to try to make it work with her husband, she will.
3. She and her husband got along and understood each other very well, so this development is coming out of nowhere.
4. It’s just too disappointing to even consider.
I agree with Michelle the show will not work without the mother. How do you do you all of a sudden stop loving each other when show was about About a loving husband and wife who talked and worked things out with love and respect
Cosby was not boring cuz it was FUNNY!
I believe the show will be fine…Malcolm is a great actor and this will storyline will shed positive light on the growing population of Single Fathers and them holding it down! I wish Ms.Ellis-Ross much success in her future endeavors.
I don’t think a “separation” will be good either. That casts a negative shadow on what was suppose to be a positive view of marriage life. Gone are the wholesome shows that don’t need violence, sex and profanity to hold its viewers attention. People need unnecessary drama or its too “boring” to hold peoples attention. I think they should stick with wholesome- it works for me. People didn’t like “Boy Meets World” either; too corny, too goody-two shoe but it was my favorite show. I think They would be better off creating a storyline about a terminal illness or sudden death and showing the audience how they deal with that
I watched initially to support the effort. I was not able to relate to the characters or the story line. I also noticed the lack of chemistry between the husband and wife. For me, the show just wasnt believable
A sudden separation is not the best storyline. The producers are better off saying that she has gone abroad for some reason. In attempting to promote a positive image of the black family and of black marriage, having a once divorced woman suddenly separate from her current husband when their marriage appeared to be strong, would be a poor choice. Secondly, aren’t the twins her children from her first marriage? How could she just leave them with their step-father?
Yes they weren’t Malcolm’s biological children which makes the new plot twist even stranger.
That’s right, the twins are her biological kids, so her departure, given the storyline with the ex and her profession (meaning she knows better) wouldn’t be the best idea or representation. hopefully they will reconsider that, or just re-cast the role.
I also, Love the show. It help me show my kids that it wasn’t just them/us dealing w/ certain situations in life.
I wonder why they didn’t just pull a Fresh Prince of Bel Air and put another actress in the role? I really wanted to like this show, and tried to keep watching it, but it just wasn’t funny, and the chemistry between Malcolm and Tracee wasn’t there. Because it’s only been on for one season it seems like they could have re-cast the wife role and spruced up the script without having to separate the characters.
I agree 100% w/ D-Nice. I watched just for the sake of supporting a positive African-American show. It wasn’t horrible, but just seemed forced and unrealistic at times. No chemistry between the main characters. But I’m curious as to how producers will approach the story behind how this happy couple is all of a sudden separated. I’ll keep watching just because.
I was happy to see Traci again on tv but she and malcolm did not have chemistry on the show. I hope they change that new story line because it makes absoloutely no sense. Why would he end up with all 3 kids he didn’t adopt her previous 2, unless they are going to kill her off.
Wrong casting: Traci and Malcolm – I couldn’t get into the show. I’m quite sure a re-casting of Traci’s part may help the ratings. Just don’t keep Malcolm a single dad for long.
I agree with those who tried to watch, but lost interest. I would definitely not be tuning in if they went with the storyline mentioned in the article. I agree with those who think they should just replace the actress. It might work out better because it was hard not to see Carla as Joan. Maybe fans can start a Facebook and twitter campaign to keep a married couple in the show with a different actress. I’m not a big enough fan to start the campaign, but I would sign on to it. 🙂
Sounds like the chemistry wasn’t there. Maybe if they bring someone else back to fill Traci’s spot as mom, it can work? Or, maybe they are more interested in dealing with blended families.
Not sure I will continue to watch. I really enjoyed seeing a happy couple with a family with ordinary problems. Ross leaving is a real loss to the show.
I tried to watch the show for the first few episodes, but I just couldn’t get into it. It just didn’t seem to fit. I don’t know whether the actors were trying too hard or maybe it was the writing, but it just didn’t work for me. I actually forgot it was even coming on since I stopped watching. Maybe I’ll check it out again once they change the format and see if it’s any better.
How can he become a single father to 3 children when 2 are his stepkids 0_o I do not understand how they will make that work. They billed it has a loving mother and father, and now the mom not only walks from a “happy” marriage but, walks away from her kids. I do not like that look at all. smh. ontheotherhand Maybe this will give the writers a chance to start over become better. We need good / positive shows Good Luck
It was a hard show to watch, Ross looked way to old to be Jamals wife…He tried to hard to be the proper stiff dad…no really chemistry between any of the characters…Thats my professional opinion..but the story lines were good..
Ummm…what does she have better to do? It’s not like Ms Ross is well know for her wide array of numerous acting roles.
This is very disappointing to hear, and the jokes will be running in if the writers play it out as they say they are “even on tv black marriages dont last”
as the others who made comments said, how is it going to look her sticking HER kids with their step dad, wouldnt they just go back to their biological father?
There has to be a tragedy that legitimizes them staying together, and it will allow for the show to have some depth. So what happens to Anna Marie Hornsford and the other character who worked in the same building, because essentially they would have no need to come around if they separated.
I enjoyed the show but thats because my expectation wasnt great, i never tried to make it a millenial cosby show. I saw it as a black sitcom. It allowed for the black family to be shown in a positive light, embrace a successful HEALTHY black marriage and show kids that were good but still had some personal issues.
Its interesting to see one person say they didnt like this show but liked “the game” I would love to see what type of shows some that you guys watch then.
This show was awful. Super boring. Not funny at all. Un real. No man is as patient and even tempered and understanding as Malcolm jamals character. Everyone gets along. boring. Cosby had an almost perfect family but he was funny.
wow… I am willing to bet there are PLENTY of men that are that patient and even tempered, its called being able to control your emotions
comments like this is proof that people LOVE drama, whether its on tv or in their own lives. Ive seen it on social media too often, a person can write a positive/uplifting comment and NO ONE responds but let someone post a picture of Stevie J, comment on the ignorance of LHHA or some other trifling unfortunate event and you will have a round table discussion.
People have to re-condition their minds to realize being positive, safe, nice or even “boring” isnt always a bad thing.
@yo_q_crush – Thank you!!!! My husband is definitely one of PLENTY of men who are extremely patient and even-tempered, especially with our children. I really wish people would preference negative generalizations like that with the phrase, “My experience is….” since they are speaking from their own personal experiences.
Show is straight up awful!
It’s not about loving drama but this show was unrealitstic. There was an episode here Malcolm’s character was totally understanding when his wife was getting depressed when her ex husband was getting married! Little or no emotion like him, it was straight up boring and un funny. Very little “drama” in the cosby show or my wife and kids, but it was funny and everyone could relate. I’m against the all drama shows but i’m against shows with characters who don’t show anger when they should!
My wife and kids was the best black family show since Cosby. I didn’t watch it when it first came out started watching the reruns, most underated show of all time! Great show!
I pretty much agree with all the comments above. There was little chemistry between the characters of both Malcolm and Traci. Her being a mother of one child but then to have three children just seemed strange to me. Malcolm seem to try too hard to be a new generation Cliff Huxtable (no comedian skills ) he seems to be a serious actor. The only person on the show that seemed to keeps attention was the son. He was very funny in his own “Theo” way. If the show does return let’s have fun as a family, lighten up the characters. Quick note to the writers… There are black families that are educated, and knows how to let loose and laugh
Rather than just have the couple separated, I’d prefer that the character just be RECAST – there are numerous african american actresses OUT OF WORK who could fill the role as well as Tracee did. C’Mon, SON!!!!!!!
I believe that a separation will only deter those still watching. Like most of the post above their relationship was strong and this will come suddenly from nowhere. Unfortunately the only way to show a positive light is to either have her end up sick and hospitalized with the show going on as if she is away getting better or to have her sudenly die. I wish the best for the show and hope that this will not be another positive black light burnt out.
Wow. Shocked and saddened. But they could have at leaset replaced Joan I mean Tracee Ellis Ross 🙂 They did it with The Fresh Prince of BelAir. Maybe it will work again.
I agree, they should just recast the Mother’s role.Its amazing that someone would think that no man is that even tempered. My husband definitely fits the bill. It would take an act of congress to get him upset. He knows how to handle his emotions. Some people thrive on drama so much, that they have no idea what a calm household looks like. I enjoyed the show, it was one of the very few family shows on tv. Just about everything on now is trash tv!!
I would love to see Malinda Williams in the mom role. I really think that the chemistry would be better and she is a great personality who deserves a leading character role.