Defunding the police has been a topic of national debate in the wake of massive protests about systemic discrimination and police brutality in recent weeks, and it appears at least one police-centric show will no longer be on the air as a result.
Cops, the long-running reality show about law enforcement, was abruptly canceled after more than three decades on the air. The Hollywood Reporter said on Tuesday that Paramount Network, which was currently airing the show in syndication until new episodes were pulled last week, will now cancel the show altogether amid ongoing protests.
“Cops is not on the Paramount Network and we don’t have any current or future plans for it to return,” a network spokesperson said.
Paramount Network’s forerunner, Spike TV, picked up Cops in 2013 after it ended a 25-season run on Fox. The series continued following the 2018 rebranding of the channel as Paramount Network; it also had syndication rights to many past seasons.
Monday was supposed to be the start of Season 33 of the real-life police drama, which followed officers around as they did they policed various parts of the country. But a renewed interest in widespread police brutality has changed the perception of law enforcement in the eyes of many. Other shows, including A&E’s LivePD, also saw episodes pulled as a result of protests sparked by the death of George Floyd while in police custody. Meanwhile, other shows that have highlighted a very different side of policing have gained new attention in the transformative days that have followed.