CNN Cancels ‘King Charles’ Series

CNN has dunked its weekly, primetime talk show King Charles after a five-month run.

The series, which featured CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King and NBA Hall of Famer/Inside The NBA co-host Charles Barkley discussing topical issues, launched in November 2023 but failed to generate strong ratings, according to published reports.

The series, the brainchild of former CNN CEO Chris Licht, was expected to help build CNN’s primetime ratings, but drew lackluster ratings from the start. In December,  Barkley criticized Nielsen for not accurately reporting all potential viewership for the show.

Overall, the series averaged 459,000 viewers through its run, according to Nielsen numbers reported by the New York Post.

The move comes during a particularly busy time for Barkley and his Inside The NBA show as the NBA playoffs launch this week.