‘Poppa’s House’ Canceled: Damon Wayans Reacts in Heartfelt Tribute to Family & Crew

The party’s over at Poppa’s House. CBS has canceled the Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr.-led family comedy after one season, the network announced on Tuesday, April 22. Its upcoming Season 1 finale will now serve as a series finale. The network has also canceled the reality TV series The Summit after one season and has announced series orders for new programs Einstein and DMV. The former stars Criminal Minds‘ Matthew Gray Gubler, and the latter stars Tim Meadows and Harriet Dyer.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s to come in the rest of Poppa’s House Season 1, as well as what the cast had said about their hopes for the sitcom’s future and their reactions to the cancellation.

What has Damon Wayans said about the Poppa’s House cancellation?

 

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The Poppa’s House patriarch, Wayans Sr., reacted to the sitcom’s cancellation with a heartfelt tribute to his family, cast, and crew on Instagram (embedded above). He said working alongside son Wayans Jr. has been “one of the greatest joys of [his] life” and gave a special thank you to his family who worked on the series alongside the rest of the team.

“Creating Poppa’s House was such a beautiful journey. My heart is full as I say thank you to every single person who made Poppa’s House such a meaningful experience,” Wayans Sr. wrote on April 22. “To the incredible cast you brought so much heart, soul, and joy to every scene. It was an absolute honor to share the screen with you and create something special together. To the writers, producers, directors, and the entire crew you were the heartbeat of this show. Thank you for your dedication, your passion, and for showing up every day with love and commitment. You made the set feel like home.”

“A very special thank you to my son, Damon Jr. working beside you has been one of the greatest joys of my life. And to my incredible family, siblings, children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, who showed up as writers, guest stars, and creative forces you made this journey even more meaningful,” he continued. “It’s such a blessing to have so much love on one set and to be able to create and laugh with family and friends. Though Poppa’s House is coming to a close, I’m walking away with deep gratitude, lifelong friendships, and unforgettable memories. This show gave me more than I could’ve ever imagined. To everyone who watched, supported, and believed in us thank you. Your love means everything. On to the next chapter, with nothing but love in my heart.”

Essence Atkins, who plays Ivy, shared Wayans Sr.’s post on her Instagram story, saying she’s “grateful” for her time on the show. See more fan reactions to the cancellation at the bottom of the page.

When is the Poppa’s House Season 1 finale?

Poppa’s House Season 1 comes to a close on Monday, April 28, at 8:30/7:30c on CBS. Titled “Magic Shine Again,” the episode will see Poppa (Wayans Sr.) preparing to reveal a big secret to Ivy (Essence Atkins). Meanwhile, Nina (Tetona Jackson) takes over Junior’s (Wayans Jr.) short film project.

Guest stars this season have included Marlon Wayans, Amara Wayans (Wayans Jr.’s daughter, who made her acting debut in the April 21 episode), Lamorne Morris (marking a New Girl reunion), Wendy Raquel Robinson, Vivica A. Fox, Tommy Davidson, Geoffrey Owens, and more.

Why was Poppa’s House canceled?

Poppa’s House was one of the only remaining shows with its fate up in the air at CBS after it renewed a handful of programming earlier this year. According to Deadline, Poppa’s House was reportedly asked to reduce its budget for renewal consideration. After premiering in October 2024, the sitcom got a promising full-season order in November alongside the NCIS prequel, NCIS: Origins, which was renewed for Season 2 in February 2025 alongside a collection of shows like Elsbeth, Fire Country (which is also getting a spinoff in Sheriff Country) and more. CBS did not cite a reason for Poppa’s House cancellation, but viewership and cost are typically the reasons any show gets axed.

As of the time of publication, The Equalizer is the last remaining CBS program that has yet to be renewed or canceled. CBS tested out a potential spinoff of The Equalizer in the Sunday, April 20, episode that guest starred Bosch‘s Titus Welliver and Juani Feliz, but CBS announced on April 22 that the spinoff is not moving forward, neither is The Neighborhood spinoff. The Equalizer‘s fate is still unknown.

The Wayans comedy was one of a handful of new shows that debuted in fall 2024 on the network. The other freshman programming was Matlock, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Watson, and Hollywood Squares, all of which have been renewed for second seasons.

FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted were canceled while FBI was renewed, and there’s a new spinoff in that world, CIA, that just got a straight-to-series order from the network on April 22 with Tom Ellis set to star. The Neighborhood has been renewed for an eighth and final season and has a potential spinoff in the works. S.W.A.T. was canceled again after being saved and renewed for what turned out to be one last season.

The network also has one more comedy pilot, Zarna, with comedian Zarna Garg and executive produced by Mindy Kaling, in the works. The new CBS 2025-2026 season schedule will be announced on May 7.

What would have happened in Poppa’s House Season 2?

Atkins previously teased to TV Insider that a romance was on the horizon for her character, Ivy, and Wayans’ Poppa. Ivy is a psychologist and relationship expert who was brought onto Poppa’s long-running but stale radio show to revitalize the show’s content. They ended up leaving the radio show together when the company went down an undesirable route for its programming plan. They started their own podcast and have been growing closer ever since.

As for Season 2 hopes, Atkins said, “There have been lots of ideas thrown around for what the evolution of that relationship looks like, and there’s some really great ideas on the table. And also just what I love is that as silly as we are on the show and as broad as the show gets in terms of a comedic flare, there is always grounded in it the heart of a story that comes from a real place. And so that will be maintained no matter what.”

“For me, I just hope to watch [Ivy] unravel and put herself back together again,” she continued. “I think Ivy is very much in her Humpty Dumpty phase. I can’t wait to see her fall completely apart and realize the value in exposure and realize the value of having your innards exposed and seeing who’s there to cover you and who’s there to help put yourself back together.”

Davidson, who was part of the original cast of In Living Color with Wayans Sr., previously told TV Insider that he’d love to return as his character, Jarnold, in future episodes. Marlon Wayans, who played a comedic version of himself (Melvin), also expressed interest in more involvement in the series.

Poppa’s House has been a big family affair since its inception. Kim, Shawn, and Michael Wayans are all on the production staff, and Wayans Sr.’s daughters, Cara Mia and Kyla Wayans, as well as Wayans Jr.’s daughters, Amara and Aniya Wayans, developed the story and script for the April 21 episode titled “Babygirl.” Amara has also been a stand-in for Atkins throughout the season before debuting as Natalie, the younger sister of her dad’s character, in “Babygirl.”

How have fans reacted to the Poppa’s House cancellation?

Viewers aren’t pleased that the show was axed. “Very upset about this,” one fan wrote on X/Twitter. “#PoppasHouse is hilarious and excellently written. I love a good crime related drama, but it seems WE can’t get a renewal for anything positive. Run The World is gone. Grand Crew is gone. Harlem is gone. Twenties is gone. What’s it gonna take? *Sigh*”

One fan is hoping Poppa’s House can be saved by another network such as BET. “@bet please Pick Up #Poppashouse For Another Season Or Seasons,” they posted on X. The same fan posted another plea hoping that the show will be renewed. “Yo @cbs i Feel Yall Made An Big Mistake For Canceling #poppasHouse Like How Yall Canceled East New York Last Year @Bet Need To Pick Up #PoppaHouse And Add Them To Their Lineup,” they wrote.

Another viewer wants Netflix to save it. “@Netflix hey…this is a good show! Season 2 on Netflix sounds good to me!” they wrote.

“I hate that #PoppaHouse is ending,” wrote another viewer. “I really like the show.”

“I’m highkey pissed at CBS,” another fan chimed in.

It’s disappointing news for many. “This some BS! Poppa’s House is hilarious!” another fan wrote. “Networks hate black sitcoms when they don’t fit a particular mold!”

One fan thinks Poppa’s House would thrive on another network. “Poppa’s House never made sense to me at CBS anyway though,” they said. “Only the cop or doc centered show thrive over there. Put that s**t on ABC where you can stream it the next day on Hulu and boom, success.”

What are your thoughts on Poppa’s House‘s fate? Sound off in the comments, below.

Poppa’s House, Series Finale, Monday, April 28, 8:30/7:30c, CBS