LOS ANGELES 鈥 The final episode of 鈥淏ob Hearts Abishola鈥 isn鈥檛 going to put a bow on five years of television.
鈥淭here could be 50 more stories to tell,鈥 says Executive Producer Matt Ross. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not our job to say, 鈥楢nd bon voyage, they鈥檙e done learning and they鈥檙e done being interesting.鈥 It鈥檚 our job to have fun with them and to entertain the audience as long as we have the privilege to do so.鈥
Folake Olowofoyeku and Billy Gardell star as Abishola and Bob in the CBS series.
The decision to end the series rests in the hands of CBS, says Executive Producer Gina Yashere. 鈥淭he industry鈥檚 in flux right now. So, the money that was there 10 years ago is definitely not here anymore. If we鈥檙e using a character, we make sure to build a story around them and make that the center of the episode. That鈥檚 what we did with the budget.鈥 Some actors, as a result, were 鈥渞ecurring鈥 characters during the final year, not regulars.
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Still, Yashere says, there鈥檚 plenty more to cover in the lives of Bob and Abishola. 鈥淚 wanted to create something where you got to see (Nigerians) as people 鈥 that we love the same, we live the same, we laugh, we eat food. We do all the same things. That was important to me.鈥
Billy Gardell stars as Bob in "Bob Hearts Abishola."
For Folake Olowofoyeku, who plays聽Abishola, the series provided an opportunity to rework Americans鈥 impression of Nigerians. 鈥淎s a Nigerian girl, I was offended by quite a few productions that depicted us like caricatures that didn鈥檛 have the appropriate language,鈥 she says. 鈥淭he authenticity is something that鈥檚 being celebrated.鈥
The show鈥檚 impact, she adds, 鈥渨ill begin to reveal itself more and more for many years to come. I don鈥檛 think we fully comprehend the work that we鈥檝e done here. I feel extremely grateful.鈥
Co-star Billy Gardell says 鈥淏ob Hearts Abishola鈥 boils down to 鈥渓ove wins no matter what. It doesn鈥檛 matter what you look like, where you鈥檙e from. I think that鈥檚 what鈥檚 vital and we captured that. And, it鈥檚 a reminder that when you marry someone, you marry their family.鈥
In those final episodes of the series, Bob and Abishola have dealt with family weddings, their son鈥檚 career plans and Abishola鈥檚 medical future.
鈥淪he鈥檚 taught him how to be more stoic and more focused and he鈥檚 taught her to lighten up,鈥 Gardell says. 鈥淚n any good relationship if it鈥檚 a give and a give, it鈥檚 a win. I think we鈥檙e there. I鈥檓 trying to treasure these last episodes because I think we鈥檙e playing at our highest level right now.鈥
Folake Olowofoyeku stars as Abishola in "Bob Hearts Abishola."
Olowofoyeku agrees. 鈥淚n the beginning, Bob聽was chasing Abishola down with socks and now they鈥檙e married鈥nd they鈥檙e talking鈥nd they鈥檙e parenting Dele and dealing with that together. It鈥檚 evolved in a way that (I have been) so happy to see unfold.鈥
For Yashere, who was brought in to advise, 鈥淏ob Hearts Abishola鈥 was an opportunity to correct mistakes others had made. 鈥淲hen I saw Africans or Black people (on television), it just felt like we were never three-dimensional.,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t was always through the lens of someone else and how聽we were perceived, not how we actually saw ourselves.
鈥淚 just wanted to create something where you got to see us as people.鈥
From left, Billy Gardell, Travis Wolfe, Jr. and Folake Olowofoyeku star in "Bob Hearts Abishola."
In the process, the series taught other lessons.
鈥淲e had an episode where Abishola helps decipher that Dottie (her mother-in-law) is having a stroke and there were fans of the show who actually saved a loved one based on those instructions,鈥 Olowofoyeku says.
Now, the cast and crew are like Abishola when the series first started. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about seeking opportunity,鈥 Yashere says. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 basically what most of us are trying to do. My parents left Nigeria for England to give us better opportunities and I left England for America. That鈥檚 basically the journey everybody makes in life 鈥 to have the best life they can possibly have. That鈥檚 what the journey of this show is. It鈥檚 the freedom of people to follow what they want to do and follow their dream.鈥
The final CBS episode of "Bob Hearts Abishola" airs May 6.
鈥淏ob Hearts Abishola" airs its last original episode on CBS next week.聽
