iStock/Evgen_Prozhyrko(LOS ANGELES) — The Paramount Network announced on Tuesday that it has canceled its long-running reality series Cops after 32 seasons.
The move comes in the wake of nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd while in police custody.
“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 in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.
The show’s 33rd season, scheduled to launch on Monday, was delayed amid protests against police brutality and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Paramount hasn’t aired any episodes of the show since at least June 1.
Cops has faced scrutiny over the years for its depiction of suspects and police tactics. A podcast called Running From “Cops” alleged officers would sometimes coerce subjects into signing releases to be filmed for the show, and that crew members have carried weapons and assisted police, according to THR.
A&E also pulled last weekend’s episodes of its real-time cop reality series Live PD, saying in a statement on Monday, that “Out of respect for the families of George Floyd and others who have lost their lives” and “in consideration for the safety of all involved,” it decided not to air the episodes.
A spokesperson for Discovery’s ID channel tells THR its similar show, Body Cam, is also off the schedule for the foreseeable future.
By George CostantinoCopyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
