The Morning Call

‘This Is Life With Lisa Ling’ to end after new season on CNN

- By Stephen Battaglio

The CNN documentar­y series “This Is Life With Lisa Ling” will end its run on the network this year, a casualty of the news channel’s recently announced budget reductions.

Ling has confirmed that the ninth season of the series, where she often embeds herself in situations to report on the margins of American society, will be the last.

The program’s final sixepisode run begins Nov. 27 on CNN.

“I was hoping to get to 10 seasons, but we fell short of that,” Ling said in a recent interview. “I would like to do many, many more seasons, especially right now, when we are existing in these bubbles and we follow people who espouse what we believe. In some ways, we’ve cut ourselves off from really getting to know people who might be different or think differentl­y than we do.”

“This Is Life” debuted in 2014 and is the longest running show under the CNN Original Series banner, created to bring nonfiction films and series to the network that could attract viewers in slow news periods.

“Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” was the biggest hit to come out of the unit run by Amy Entelis, CNN executive vice president for talent and content developmen­t. CNN Original Series, which has brought awards, younger audiences and new advertiser­s to the network, has six projects set to run on CNN.

Changes are likely ahead for the division. CNN Chief Executive Chris Licht recently told staff there will be significan­t cost reductions at the network, as parent Warner Bros. Discovery has a mandate

to bring down costs at the recently merged company. As a result, the CNN Original Series unit will no longer acquire programs or films from outside production companies such as Part2 Pictures, the makers of “This Is Life.”

According to one person at the network familiar with the discussion­s who was not authorized to comment, Licht still wants CNN to make long-form programmin­g and has asked Entelis to explore how it can be done in-house.

“We are extremely proud of the work we produced together and with our partners at Part2 Pictures,” the network said in a statement. “The important seeds planted by Lisa will continue to grow at CNN as we remain committed to shining a light on underrepor­ted stories and the people who make up the fabric of America.”

“This Is Life” is the rare news show that takes serious, in-depth looks at unusual topics, trends and groups such as Satan worshipper­s, polygamist­s, swingers and sex workers, often putting a human face on what might otherwise seem like sensationa­l

topics.

During the pandemic, when shutdowns limited the production’s mobility, Ling devoted an entire season to historical examples of prejudice and violence against marginaliz­ed and ethnically diverse communitie­s, including Asian Americans.

This season, Ling’s topics include the impact of virtual reality and artificial intelligen­ce and what it means to the future of real human interactio­n.

In December, Ling will devote an hour to the mental health crisis in

Los Angeles and how it ties into the city’s homeless encampment­s. The episode opens with Ling’s firsthand experience:

Her husband and daughter were confronted and threatened by a homeless man in Santa Monica who was later arrested for burglary. Ling tracks down the man and interviews him after his incarcerat­ion.

Ling said she is hopeful “This Is Life” can land on another network or a streaming service.

“I’m not done,” she said. “I personally don’t want to live in a nonfiction world of cooking shows and true crime. I think there is an audience for depth.”

 ?? MICHAEL TRAN/GETTY-AFP ?? Lisa Ling, seen Nov. 12, has confirmed that the ninth season of her CNN series will be its last.
MICHAEL TRAN/GETTY-AFP Lisa Ling, seen Nov. 12, has confirmed that the ninth season of her CNN series will be its last.

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