Mike Rowe returning the favor

Fans of the former “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe are in shock right now after he revealed on Wednesday that his beloved web series “Returning the Favor,” which features him traveling across the United States “in search of remarkable people making a difference in their communities,” is being cancelled by Facebook.

Here’s the official trailer in case you haven’t seen it:

Rowe Reveals Facebook Cancelled ‘Returning The Favor’

“I received a phone call yesterday from Facebook, telling me that [‘Returning the Favor’] would not be back for another season,” Rowe wrote on Facebook. “Obviously, I was surprised.”

“‘Returning the Favor’ has been a very successful endeavor, and the feedback from everyone has been extraordinarily good – from the first favor returned, to the 100th,” he added. “In fact, it’s the only program I ever worked on [that] never received a single, negative review, or one critical comment. In that way, it was truly unexampled.”

With so much negativity and divisiveness in the world, “Returning The Favor” was a positive show that aimed to focus on the things that we all have in common as humans.

The basic premise of the web series was that while Rowe would profile people in front of the camera, others would secretly be working behind the scenes to do something kind for the individual that is featured in each episode.

Each episode ended with a big reveal that brought a range of emotions from tears to laughter, and everything in between.

The show was exactly what many of us felt we needed right now in a time filled with so much darkness, but clearly, Facebook did not feel the same way.

Related: Mike Rowe Easily Dismantles Democrat’s Student Loan Forgiveness Scheme

Rowe Shares Promo Video 

“Last week, I saw a short marketing video for the upcoming season,” Rowe added. “Obviously, that video is no longer relevant, but I wanted to share it with you anyway, because it speaks to how unique this show was, and shows just how many people it touched.’

“More importantly, it reinforces the undeniable fact that ‘Returning the Favor’ simply couldn’t have happened without the people on this page,” he continued. “Give it a look, and as you watch, please remember that you made it possible.”

Though Rowe had every reason to be furious with Facebook for cancelling his program, he once again showed what a class act he is by taking the high road. He thanked the social media platform “for their support over the last four seasons.”

“No network would have given me this much latitude to make such an honest show, or invested so generously in a 22-minute online program,” Rowe continued. “With their help, we gave away over 5 million dollars to people trying to make their communities a better place.”

Related: South Carolina CEO Reveals Mike Rowe Helped Save Her Small Business Amidst Pandemic

Rowe’s Fans Fire Back At Facebook 

Rowe’s fans, however, were not so easy on Facebook as they let it be known that cancelling this show was a big mistake.

Take a look:

“Bad (again) on Facebook,” one commenter wrote. “‘Returning the Favor’ is a wonderful show, helping us to remember there is hope and goodness no mater what is going on in the world. I sincerely hope it is picked up elsewhere.”

“Meanwhile, that just means LESS time I spend on facebook,” the Facebook user added. “Keep up the good work Mike and company.”

“I loved this show! Did they give a reason why?” another fan asked. “God forbid we have a show that promotes positivity and shows the good in mankind; instead Facebook has chosen to censor folks and focus on division and negativity….oh well, hopeful another network picks up this most amazing showcase of humanity at it’s best!”

“This show was ‘All American.’ It celebrated the salt of the earth. The good people of America doing great things on a daily basis that all too often went unnoticed by most of us,” a third upset fan said.

“The reason being that they weren’t doing these things to be noticed, but because they saw a need in their community and endeavored to meet its,” the fan continued. “Who knows how many were inspired to do likewise. Thank you Mike Rowe! Keep up your good work!”

 

One fan of the show even asked if another platform would pick up the show:

It’s sad that we live in a time when a wholesome, all-American show like “Returning The Favor” is cancelled while so many divisive and offensive programs remain on the air. 

You can still watch Mike Rowe in his new show “Six Degrees with Mike Rowe” on the Discovery Channel’s subscription streaming service Discovery+. 

Read Next: Mike Rowe Discusses New Show – ‘We’re Desperate Today To Find Topics We Can All Agree On’

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