Tia Mowry's First Interview Since The Cancellation Of "The Game"

I had just started getting into "The Game" before they cancelled the show. I was so disappointed. I tried watching a couple of episodes from the first season and I thought it was so lame, so I stopped trying. Lol. Then later on down the line, when there was nothing else on, I tried again and for whatever reason I actually seemed to like it. Weird. Anyways, I really liked Melanie and Derwin on the show. I think their relationship reflected the way a lot of people relationships are in the real world. Here are a couple replies from Tia during an interview discussing the big cut. Credit: Bet.com.....................Also, what do you guys think about the whole racism thing regarding CW, as mentioned in the interview below?

How and when did you find out the show was canceled?
I found out about the show being canceled the night before the CW had released their line-up. They released their upfronts on Thursday so I found out that Wednesday evening.

In previous interviews you spoke about your frustration with the network failing to see the potential in The Game. Was the cancellation a shock or did you expect it?
To be honest with you it wasn’t a shock to me. I’ve been in this business since I was 14 years old and you pick up things and learn from past experiences. I remember working on Sister, Sister and knowing that it was the last season because they do a huge amount of production cuts, which is expected when you know that it’s the last season. Why would you want to spend money on something you know you’re not going to produce in the future? You want to save as much money for your other shows. It’s just a business kind of thing to do. Also, promotion tends to stop. They just don’t put as much money into the show as before. A lot of people were thinking maybe it’s just because it’s the third season, or that it’s an established show and I’m like, “No, that doesn’t usually happen.” So, no, I wasn’t shocked.

The thought of fans is that The Game was canceled because it’s a Black show. Do you think it was racism?
That’s a very hard question to answer. I always have to look at everything in a positive way and that’s just my being. Some people say, “Why are you always smiling” or “Why are you so happy?” Some people think it’s corny, but it’s not. It’s a choice I decided to make in life. I feel truly blessed to have had a show for at least three years on a reputable network. That’s just difficult in any actor’s eyes. It’s tough to have two shows that are hits. Sister, Sister was a hit and The Game was a hit…and still is a hit. So I feel very blessed and honored to have had that experience.
Now to say if it’s racism, I don’t really know if I can answer that question, but I mean, it is what it is. What I will say is that certain shows did get more attention, certain shows did get more money put into their marketing, which it helps with ratings. The Game was not getting that and we are a Black show. So if you want to put it that way and in that regard then we weren’t getting the same treatment as certain shows on the network were getting as far as marketing value, attention, and publicity. I can say that, but to blatantly say it’s racism — I don’t know if I can answer that question.

Do you have a favorite episode or moment from the show?
I would have to say my favorite episode or moment on the show is – excuse my language I don’t normally curse outside of jobs – “Turkey Basting Bitches” [Laughs]. It was a hilarious episode and I loved seeing the jealousy between Melanie and Derwin, because in the end they really love each other. They really care for each other and love each other, they’re just immature. I think that’s why fans loved the show so much because it was so relatable. It was like, “Oh my gosh, that’s what I do.” A lot of people seemed to relate, but I definitely loved that episode. It was fun, I thought it was written really well, it was great for me.

I love the show but some critics have accused The Game of reinforcing negative stereotypes. I’ve read interviews with you where you talked about how much you loved the Melanie character because she didn’t play the typical wife or athlete girlfriend — what do you say to people who criticize the show?
What I’ve realized at 30 years old going on to 31 is that you can’t please everyone and to me that’s a good thing. If we were to please everyone then that means that we’re all the same and to me that’s boring. When you look at comedians and shows that are funny, they’re always playing into some type of stereotype. I mean, that’s comedy. If you don’t know that then you don’t know what comedy is. And everybody has a different view of comedy and what makes them laugh. Some people use profanity, some people don’t – ala Eddie Murphy, ala Sinbad. There are different audiences out there that relate to certain things and some relate to another thing. I think that’s where Mara was successful. The funny thing about the show is that all three of these girls are extremely different. Melanie was for the first two seasons the voice of reason. She was the one saying, “I’m not gonna do that,” “What are you guys doing?” and they were playing into the stereotypes. But when they played into the stereotypes it’s funny.
I’ve met a lot of football and basketball players who enjoy the show. They will admit that sometimes it’s exaggerated, but they were like it’s funny. That’s what’s funny about it. Some people may get it, some people may not.

Do you want The Game to be picked up elsewhere or would you rather move away from the project all together?
I would love for The Game to be picked up elsewhere. I told Mara that I’m not ready for Melanie to be over. I speak for all of the actors, there’s so much more to do with these characters, there’s so much more to find and dig. People love these characters, but not only do fans, so do the actors. I feel like Melanie has been my dream role because she’s a real person. It’s unbelievable where Mara has allowed me to go as an actress. Before The Game I couldn’t even get into an audition for a Hillary Swank movie, but The Game has opened up opportunities for people to see me in a different light. Of course I want the show to go on, but not just because of that– we work very well together, we’re very close and there’s so much more. The fans know that. I have never been put in this situation where fans have been so supportive of a show and everybody knows about it – the cast, Mara – The Game fans are the best fans.