In January 2023, the series was renewed for a fifth season[5] which will premiere on February 12, 2024.[6] However, eleven of the show's thirteen main cast members were downgraded to recurring, and would likely return for only 5 episodes apiece during Season 5.[7] In November 2023, it was announced that the fifth season will be the series' final season, with the series finale set to air on May 13, 2024.[8][9]
Premise
Bob Wheeler runs his family's successful, highly competitive sock company in Detroit with his widowed mother Dottie and his younger twin siblings, Christina and Douglas.[10] When the stress of the job lands Bob in Woodward Memorial Hospital, due to a mild heart attack, he is immediately drawn to Abishola Adebambo, his kind, hardworking Nigerian nurse.[11] Despite their differences, Bob falls in love with Abishola and sets his sights on getting her to give him a chance.
Cast
Main
Billy Gardell as Robert "Bob" Wheeler, a divorced man who runs MaxDot, his family's compressionsock manufacturing company in Detroit. When he has a heart attack because of the business and his family, he wakes at the hospital where he meets a Nigerian nurse and falls in love.
Folake Olowofoyeku as Abishola Bolatito Doyinsola Oluwatoyin Wheeler (formerly Adebambo, née Odegbami), Bob's nurse at Woodward Memorial Hospital; an immigrant Nigerian who lives with her son, aunt and uncle in a small apartment. She and her husband emigrated to America with their son approximately eight years prior to season 2, but her husband returned to Nigeria after deciding he didn't want to start over in their new country.
Christine Ebersole as Dorothy "Dottie" Wheeler (seasons 1–4; recurring season 5),[7] Bob, Douglas and Christina's mother. She and her late husband, Max, were the founders of MaxDot, named for them. After suffering a stroke, she moved in with Bob and receives nursing care from Abishola and Gloria at Bob's house.
Matt Jones as Douglas Wheeler (seasons 1–4; recurring season 5),[7] Dottie's son, Bob's younger brother and Christina's twin brother. He is the vice president of human resources at MaxDot, a position he got purely through nepotism. (As Douglas alludes in season 4, "My greatest skill is having the last name Wheeler.") In season 2, Dottie demotes him to the warehouse floor, in an effort to teach him discipline and get him to take his job seriously. Despite initial objections, Douglas comes to enjoy his new job and especially likes the camaraderie with the warehouse workers, particularly Kofo and Goodwin. He began a serious relationship with a bus driver named Olivia in Season 3, but confirms sadly in Season 4 that they broke up.
Maribeth Monroe as Christina Wheeler (seasons 1–4; recurring season 5),[7] Dottie's daughter, Bob's younger sister and Douglas' twin sister. She is the head of sales at MaxDot and was previously married, but the relationship ended after she stabbed her husband with a knife. Frustrated with being unappreciated at work, she explores new career opportunities in season 3, eventually landing at one of MaxDot's competitors. After being fired from her new job in season 4, Christina returns to MaxDot as a janitor; she shows previously unseen determination and humility, and by the end of Season 4 she's earned a promotion to handle MaxDot's marketing section.
Shola Adewusi as Oluwatoyin "Olu" Ifedayo Olatunji (née Odegbami) (seasons 1–4; recurring season 5),[7] Abishola's aunt and Tunde's wife.
Barry Shabaka Henley as Babatunde "Tunde" Temitope Olatunji (seasons 1–4; recurring season 5),[7] Abishola's uncle and Olu's husband.
Travis Wolfe Jr. as Dele Babatunde Adebambo (seasons 1–4; recurring season 5),[7] teenage son of Abishola and her ex-husband, Tayo. He dreams of being a professional dancer against Abishola and Tayo's wishes.
Vernee Watson-Johnson as Gloria Tyler (seasons 1–4; recurring season 5),[7] a charge nurse at Woodward Memorial Hospital and Abishola's co-worker. She studied to become a doctor, but just as she was about to start her residency at Detroit Memorial Hospital, the doors were closed to her. Because she had a family and needed a job, she ended up becoming a nurse.
Gina Yashere as Kemi (seasons 1–4; recurring season 5),[7] Abishola's best friend for the last 20 years. She works in food service at Woodward Memorial Hospital.[12]
Bayo Akinfemi as Goodwin Aderibigbe Olayiwola (seasons 1–4; recurring season 5),[7] an employee at MaxDot and Kofo's cousin. They often speak to each other privately in Yoruba.[13] In season 2, it is revealed that Goodwin was on a path toward becoming a professor of economics before leaving Nigeria. In season 3, it is revealed that Bob intends to make Goodwin his successor after he retires. Frustrated that Bob won't be retiring anytime soon, Goodwin briefly goes to work at Christina's company before Bob invites him back with a promotion to MaxDot president.
Anthony Okungbowa as Kofoworola "Kofo" Omogoriola Olanipekun (seasons 1–4; recurring season 5),[7] an employee at MaxDot and Goodwin's cousin. He is promoted to Christina's position after she suddenly quits in season 3.[13] This angers Goodwin, as the position ranks higher than his own job as warehouse floor supervisor.
Saidah Arrika Ekulona as Ebunoluwa "Ebun" Adebisi Odegbami (season 4; recurring seasons 2–3, 5),[7] Abishola's mother and Olu's sister[14] No one likes her on merit, but she has shown some humanity and also that she loves her daughter and respects her new son-in-law Bob.
Recurring
Tony Tambi as Chukwuemeka Mborata, a pharmacist who was Abishola's suitor and now is Kemi's love interest
Kimberly Scott as Ogechi Mborata, Chukwuemeka's smothering and manipulative mother
Raymond Ma as Wati Zhao (seasons 1, 3 and 4), MaxDot's sock supplier from Malaysia, who is brought to work at MaxDot's new manufacturing division in Season 4.
Conphidance as Pastor Balogun (seasons 1–2), the pastor at Abishola's church
Vishesh Chachra as Dr. Sanjiv Chakraborty (seasons 1–2), an arrogant doctor who works at Woodward Memorial Hospital
Nicole Sullivan as Lorraine Wheeler (season 1–2), Bob's ex-wife
Dayo Ade as Tayo Adebambo (season 2–present), Dele's father and Abishola's Nigerian husband who finally grants her a divorce near the end of season 2
Tori Danner as Morenike (season 2–present), Abishola's cousin staying in Dele's old room, which Olu and Tunde rented. She is studying to become a pharmacist, while trying to keep the secret that she's gay.
Edy Ganem as Olivia (season 3), a bus driver who becomes Douglas' girlfriend until their break up in Season 4
On October 5, 2018, it was announced that CBS had given the production an early pilot order. The pilot was written by Chuck Lorre, who executive produced along with Eddie Gorodetsky, Al Higgins and Gina Yashere.[16] Production companies involved with the pilot included Chuck Lorre Productions and Warner Bros. Television. On May 6, 2019, it was announced that the production had been given a series order.[17] A day after that, it was announced that the series would premiere in the fall of 2019 and air on Mondays at 8:30 p.m.[18] The series debuted on September 23, 2019.[19] On October 22, 2019, it was announced that CBS had ordered an additional nine episodes of the series.[20] On March 13, 2020, Warner Bros. Television announced that production was suspended due to the television impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[21] The shutdown left the last two intended episodes of the season unfilmed. On May 6, 2020, CBS renewed the series for a second season,[22] which premiered on November 16, 2020.[23] On February 17, 2021, CBS renewed the series for a third season which premiered on September 20, 2021.[1][2] On January 24, 2022, CBS renewed the series for a fourth season which is premiered on September 19, 2022.[3][4] On January 25, 2023, CBS renewed the series for a fifth season.[5] On November 29, 2023, it was announced that the fifth season will be its final season, with the series finale set to air on May 13, 2024.[8][9]
This is Gardell's second starring role in a CBS sitcom, after Mike & Molly, which ran from 2010 to 2016 and was also executive produced by Lorre; in addition, Gardell has a recurring role on Young Sheldon as Herschel Sparks, a neighbor of the title character. Matt Jones is an alum of fellow Lorre/CBS series Mom. On January 30, 2020, it was reported that Anthony Okungbowa and Bayo Akinfemi had been promoted to series regulars.[13] On September 7, 2022, it was reported that Saidah Arrika Ekulona has been promoted to series regular in season 4.[14] On April 26, 2023, it was announced that Gardell and Olowofoyeku were the only cast members who would remain series regulars as the rest of the cast were reduced to five-episode contracts for "recurring status" for the fifth season.[7]
Filming
While taking place in Detroit, Bob Hearts Abishola is filmed at Warner Brothers Burbank Studios in Los Angeles. Several Detroit references are incorporated into the show's setting. For example, the fictional Woodward Memorial Hospital where Abishola works is a reference to Woodward Avenue, Michigan Highway M-1, which is a main route running from Detroit to Pontiac and named for Augustus Woodward who planned and oversaw the redevelopment of the city of Detroit following a devastating fire in 1805. The Dele character attends Jamerson Middle School, a likely reference to the legendary Motown bass player James Jamerson. Also, the Abishola and Kemi characters ride to work on the 16 Dexter bus, which is a real bus line for the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT).[25] Co-creator Lorre chose the location, in part, because of Detroit's rapidly growing immigrant population. While Detroit's U.S.-born inhabitants declined 5.3 percent between the 2010 census and 2014, the immigrant population rose by 12.7 percent.[25] The cast and crew were set to do a filming location in Lagos, Nigeria for Season 3 episodes set in Lagos, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the episodes set in Lagos were filmed in southern California instead.
In season 2 and 3, the series was filmed on a closed set without a studio audience due to COVID-19; laugh tracks were added during post-production.[26]
Release
Marketing
On May 15, 2019, CBS released the first official trailer for the series.[27]
Broadcasting
Bob Hearts Abishola premiered on CBS on September 23, 2019[28] and will end on May 13, 2024.[8]
Reception
Critical response
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 58% approval rating with an average rating of 6.75/10, based on 12 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Groundbreaking, but unfortunately grating, Bob (Hearts) Abishola undermines its own progressive premise with underwhelming humor that relies too heavily on outdated stereotypes."[29] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 57 out of 100 based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[30]
