Natalie Morales calls out NBC for canceling Abby's

The Daily Beast

"So much for diversity!" Morales tells The Last Laugh podcast, adding that NBC neglected to give the groundbreaking Cheers-like outdoor bar sitcom proper promotion. Abby's, which was NBC's lowest-rated sitcom of last season, was canceled in May after 10 episodes. “If I’m being honest, it’s bullsh*t to tout all of these firsts and all this inclusion and all this diversity and then not market the show whatsoever,” says Morales, who played the first Latina bisexual lead character of a network sitcom. Morales says she was told it was the first show in the history of NBC that got zero outdoor marketing. “So that tells you something,” she adds. “Not that I’m not thankful for the people that put it on the air. I just feel like, if you’re going to say that you’re about diversity, then actually walk the walk.” Morales expressed disappointment that the Michael Schur-produced comedy wasn't given a chance to grow its ratings with a second season. “I was really disappointed,” she says. “It sucked. It sucked really hard. I think we did a really great thing. And I’m really proud of what we did.”