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It was recently reported that Mara Brock Akil would be resurrecting her 2006 series The Game on its home network, the CW. But unfortunately, that reboot process isn’t going as smoothly as she and her co-creator Devon Greggory has hoped. For the second comeback, Akil and Greggory had a different vision for the series. They wanted to change the plot and even change the scenery to Baltimore, MD. According to Deadline, CW execs didn’t quite agree with this vision.
Akil and Greggory wanted to bring back the original cast to serve as mentors to a new generation of young, “knuckle-head new-schoolers” and help them “navigate the ruthless game of football on and off the field.” When The Game was revived on BET from 2011 to 2015, it was a one-hour show, and Akil wanted to keep that format. Instead, the CW wanted her to keep the original 30-minute format and plot the show had. Akil and Greggory declined this offer.
Even though The Game won’t be rebooted on CW, it doesn’t mean the show won’t be making a comeback. Akil and Greggory just have to find a network that is willing to agree to the show’s new format and story-line. In other words, The Game is on timeout.
The original cast included Tia Mowry, Pooch Hall, Hosea Sanchez, Brittany Daniel, Coby Bell and Wendy Raquel Robinson. The series followed Melanie Barnett, played by Mowry, who put her medical school dreams on hold after her football star boyfriend, Derwin Davis (Hall) was drafted. After three seasons on the CW, the show was cancelled. It was later picked up by BET where it was transformed into a hour-long drama/comedy. Brandy, Jay Ellis and Lauren London were also added to the cast. The Game ended up airing on BET for five more seasons.
