Looks like it’s the end of the road for the hit ABC Family sitcom “Melissa & Joey.” According to reports, the beloved series, which recently earned a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Cable TV Comedy, will be ending its run following the show’s successful four seasons.

“Melissa & Joey will be wrapping production on its final season this week,” ABC Family said in a statement regarding the series’ cancellation. “The comedy will conclude its storyline at the end of the fourth season, to air later this summer.”

So why did “Melissa & Joey,” which stars Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence as a pair of newlyweds, get the axe? Well, Deadline revealed that the decision fell upon Karey Burke, the networks’ newest EVP of Programming and Development who has experience in the comedy department. Before being appointed to exec VP, Burke was overseeing her fair share of Emmy-winning series including “Friends,” “The West Wing,” Will & Grace” and “ER.”

“We are proud of the milestones 'Melissa & Joey' has achieved, being the network’s first sitcom to reach 100 episodes and the network’s first comedy to win a People’s Choice Award,” she said. “Now that the kids are grown and Mel and Joe have married and are looking towards starting a family, it seemed like a natural time to bring the series to a close. We are grateful to Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence and the whole cast and crew who worked so hard on this successful show.”

If you think Burke’s decision to cancel the comedy stemmed from the show’s not-so-impressive viewership, think again. Although “Melissa & Joey” wasn’t pulling in numbers like the thriller “Pretty Little Liars,” they were neck-and-neck with other programs such as “Baby Daddy” and “Young and Hungry,” bringing in a reported 1.19 million viewers during their Season 4 premiere episode.

In fact, since the news broke of the show’s cancellation, diehard fans of “Melissa & Joey” have taken to Twitter to express their anger over the networks’ decision. Lawrence, who refers to his fan base as “angels,” made sure not to let their voices go unheard. “Angels I’m sure you’ve all heard Melissa&Joey has been canceled by @ABCFamily It’s sad but we lasted this long thx to all u #bestfansever xx,” he wrote, adding that showbiz can be a brutal business.

Are you surprised to see “Melissa & Joey” canceled? Sound off in the comments section below with your thoughts on ABC Family cancelling the award-winning sitcom and don’t forget to tune in to the remaining episodes of “Melissa & Joey” on Wednesdays.

RELATED STORIES