The Neighborhood has finally returned in the 2026 TV schedule after a long winter hiatus, but the end is nigh for the sitcom. CBS confirmed last year that the eighth season would be the last. While that was bad news for fans hoping for Season 9 and beyond, it allowed the show a full season to build up to a (hopefully) fitting finale. For Beth Behrs, it was her second hit CBS sitcom in a row, and 2 Broke Girls showrunner Michael Patrick King reflected on the audition that originally made her a network TV comedy star.
The Neighborhood was actually stacked with sitcom stars when it premiered, including Cedric the Entertainer, New Girl's Max Greenfield, Everybody Hates Chris' Tichina Arnold, and of course 2 Broke Girls' Beth Behrs as Gemma. It extended Behrs' time on CBS after six seasons of 2 Broke Girls, starting in 2011 opposite Kat Dennings. When The Neighborhood ends later this year, it'll mark the end of a 15-year run on the network for Behrs. (You can stream The Neighborhood with a Paramount+ subscription now.)
I spoke with 2 Broke Girls creator/executive producer Michael Patrick King at SCAD TVfest in Atlanta, and after he hyped Kat Dennings as a leading lady, he praised the dynamic that the co-leads struck with each other. He also made sure to hype Beth Behrs for coming into the show without any acting experience, telling me:
2 Broke Girls was thrilling because of Kat and Beth. Now, Kat was already an established star. She had done Infinite Playlist. She had done some other really special things. Beth Behrs was a nanny when she auditioned, and no one really knew whether she could do it or not. The two of them were so charismatic and comedic and amazing actresses, so I am not surprised but I'm greatly gratified that they both found other homes on television [after 2 Broke Girls] because they were stars.
While not necessarily the household name that she would be by the time she landed Shifting Gears opposite Tim Allen, Kat Dennings had some notable credits to her name when she was cast for 2 Broke Girls. Beth Behrs struck up a quick chemistry with her costar, but it wasn't the result of tons of experience on the small or large screen.
When I noted to Michael Patrick King that I had no idea she'd been a nanny before being cast for a co-lead role on 2 Broke Girls, he responded:
Yeah! When I handed her resume to CBS, they kept turning it over, looking for more credits. And I was like, 'Nope.' She just has it.
Well, it's a good thing that CBS didn't let Beth Behrs' shortage of credits stop King from casting her on 2 Broke Girls in 2011, since it's probably a safe bet she wouldn't have then gone on to The Neighborhood without already having proven her comedy skills. Of course, that's not to say that she played the same kind of character on her second CBS show that she did opposite Kat Dennings.
2 Broke Girls had a strong cast, but there's no denying that Dennings' Max and Behrs' Caroline were the stars of the series. The Neighborhood is mostly led by Cedric the Entertainer's Calvin and Max Greenfield's Dave, but there's also a strong ensemble carrying storylines of their own, including Behrs as Gemma.
The weeks are counting down until The Neighborhood comes to an end, but CBS isn't out of episodes just yet. Keep tuning in to CBS on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET for the newest episodes, followed by DMV at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Neighborhood is streaming now on Paramount+, while you can always check out 2 Broke Girls streaming on The Roku Channel.
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