'The Jim Gaffigan Show' Is a Testament to Its Star's Life as a Family Man

It's almost unheard of for a comedian to find wild success without being super vulgar or offensive to anyone, but somehow, Jim Gaffigan did it. And with a December 2021 Netflix special, Jim Gaffigan: Comedy Monster to end the year on a high note, he's sure to bring in new fans.

But some of his more dedicated fans who followed him for years might be wondering why his show, The Jim Gaffigan Show, was canceled.

Somewhere in between live comedy shows and movie and TV appearances, Jim co-wrote and starred in his own TV show, which was a fictionalized version of his life as a stand-up comic. Given his success as a comedian and actor, it was no surprise when his show took off almost immediately. Unfortunately, however, it ended after just two seasons.

Jim co-created The Jim Gaffigan Show with Peter Tolan, who also worked on the movies Analyze This and Analyze That, among others. The show was based partly on Jim's real-life family and his experiences as a comedian and as a family man raising five kids in a two-bedroom New York City apartment.

But instead of allowing the show to be based solely on his career, he wanted it to be more about what happens when a comedian walks off the stage.

In August 2016, two months after its Season 2 premiere, Jim and his wife, Jeannie Gaffigan, announced they decided not to bring the show back for a third season. It was Jim and Jeannie's choice to end the show.

So while The Jim Gaffigan Show wasn't canceled by the network, it was canceled, in a way, by Jim and Jeannie.

"The time commitment to make the quality of show we wanted was taking us away from our most important project: our five children," Jim wrote on Facebook at the time.

"We are truly grateful for all the support friends on social media and television critics have given The Jim Gaffigan Show. Jeannie and I are excited to move forward with other creative pursuits."

Jim's wife, Jeannie, served as an executive producer and also helped write the majority of the series' episodes. Like her husband, she's an actress and comedy writer.

She was in the TBS comedy My Boys, and she appeared in a few episodes of The Jim Gaffigan Show. And she helped write some of Jim's other TV specials outside of Comedy Monster.

The Jim Gaffigan Show aired for just two seasons, from 2015-2016. And if Jim and Jeannie hadn't made the joint decision to end it, it probably would have gone on for several more seasons, judging by its high IMDb rating and fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes.

But since it's no longer on TV, you can watch old episodes of The Jim Gaffigan Show on Paramount Plus.

Jim Gaffigan: Comedy Monster is now streaming on Netflix.