Will Smith comedy series ‘This Joka’ cancelled

Stand-up comedy series This Joka, executive produced by Will Smith, will not be returning for a second season.

Streaming service Roku confirmed to Deadline that the show will not be renewed for another season, and says it has “nothing to do with the Oscars incident” in which Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage.

• READ MORE: A history of Oscar scandals – is Will Smith’s slap really the most controversial ever?

The show featured comedians including Baron Vaughn, Megan Gailey, Punkie Johnson, Sean Patton, Rosebud Baker, Shane Torres, Clayton English, Christi Chiello, Vanessa Gonzalez, Martin Urbano, Sam Tallent, David Gborie, Jackie Fabulous, and Chris Estraded.

This Joka explored “the nature of comedy” and the way it can bring people together, featuring equally up-and-coming, established and legendary comedians together.

Roku apparently didn’t have an option to renew the show as it aired after the possibility had passed the deadline to analyse the viewing data.

A number of projects involving Smith were put on pause in light of the Oscars controversy.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix has quietly halted production on thriller film Fast And Loose following the incident. The film was set to star Smith as a crime boss who loses his memory, only to learn he was living a double life.

It’s claimed Netflix is wary about moving forward with the project in light of Smith’s actions, adding that it is “unclear” whether they’ll attempt to make the film with another lead star and director.

According to the report, Sony has similarly paused development on Bad Boys 4 although it’s believed to be in very early stages. Apple TV+ also declined to comment regarding the film Emancipation, scheduled to be released in 2022, over a specific release date.