The 2023-2024 TV season was one of the wildest seasons of television fans have ever witnessed due in large part to the historic writers’ and actors’ strikes that resulted in delayed returns for broadcast’s scripted series and some of their shortest seasons ever. Rather than shows coming back in the fall, scripted series didn’t kick off their new seasons until the early months of 2024 which put the networks in an interesting position when it came time to determine which shows would be brought back for the current season.
For many networks, this meant making some incredibly difficult decisions which led to handfuls of cancellations of several hit shows. CBS fans were hit particularly hard as the network chose to end seven amazing series in 2024 including some of the most-watched shows of the season. Luckily, things weren’t as bad for NBC fans.
Of the 12 scripted series that made up its primetime lineup, an impressive 83% of the network’s shows secured a renewal with NBC only canceling two series in 2024. That’s right, only two shows were canceled by NBC in 2024 with all other shows getting renewed – though one of those renewals did come with a twist.
Law & Order: Organized Crime’s renewal came with a move from NBC to Peacock which will become home to the show’s fifth season. It was a major move for NBC as Law & Order: Organized Crime became the first NBC original series to make the jump to Peacock, and it was a much better alternative to the show simply ending.
Sadly, two shows were not as lucky as 2024 brought an end to Extended Family and Quantum Leap. The two series were the only shows to get their walking orders from NBC in 2024 and it wasn’t exactly too surprising that the shows ended up on the chopping block. While both shows were amazing in their own rights, they struggled in the ratings so it was not surprising that NBC chose to cancel the series in looking to free up some spots in its primetime schedule.
And honestly, it’s hard to criticize NBC when the network had one of the lowest cancellation percentages of the year. In fact, of the four broadcast networks, FOX was the only network that canceled fewer shows than NBC did in 2024. However, it’s worth noting that FOX also chose to delay most of its scripted shows’ returns pushing them back to the 2024-2025 season so when you take it out of the question it was NBC who canceled the fewest shows in 2024.
It’ll be interesting to see how things shape up for NBC in 2025 and whether the network will be quite as kind to its current slate of programs. Given the return to normalcy this year, we imagine the number of shows NBC chooses to cancel in 2025 might climb from the two shows it canceled in 2024 and there are definitely a few shows we’re worried about.
Lopez vs Lopez remains NBC’s least-watched show which could lead to its cancellation, Found’s ratings have been slipping in its second season, and The Night Court is losing traction in its third season making the three shows prime candidates for possible cancellation. There’s also no telling where the chips might fall with some of the season’s newer shows including Brilliant Minds and the upcoming drama The Hunting Party.
Three shows we’re not worried about? That would be the One Chicago dramas which remain the most-watched NBC shows of the season and we can’t imagine a world in which NBC doesn’t renew the shows!