It’s that time of year again, when we head towards what we refer to as the “TV Bloodbath” – the final date in May when the major US networks renew or cancel most of their shows, prior to the “Upfronts” when they present their new schedule to advertisers. As we’re in early April, and a number of renewals and cancellations have already happened at the major US networks, we thought now would be a good time to run through how things currently stand, and what shows are on shaky ground. Here is our breakdown…
ABC
Renewals
We’ll kick things off with ABC, which has done most of its renewals and cancellations already. ABC has renewed ‘9-1-1‘ (for Season 9), ‘Abbott Elementary‘ (Season 5), ‘Grey’s Anatomy‘ (Season 22), ‘Will Trent‘ (Season 4), ‘The Rookie‘ (Season 8), ‘High Potential‘ (Season 2), and ‘Shifting Gears‘ (Season 2).
Cancelled/Ending
Only one series is leaving us this year on ABC, and that is ‘The Conners‘, which was given a shortened final season to round off the story.
Still To Decide
ABC has only one series whose fate is yet to be decided:
- ‘Doctor Odyssey‘ – The Ryan Murphy-produced medical drama, set on a cruise ship and led by Joshua Jackson, has done “okay” in its time slot, but possibly not as well as it needed to, or as well as expected, given who is behind it. Averaging around 4.9 million viewers per week, that is only retaining about 77% of the audience from ‘9-1-1’, Murphy’s other show, which precedes it on the ABC schedule. Discussions are ongoing about its future between ABC and the producers, but it may be an extremely rare “miss” for Murphy…
Pick Ups
The following are the shows which ABC has ordered to series so far this season:
- ‘9-1-1: Nashville‘ – Comes, once again, from Ryan Murphy & Tim Minear, alongside ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ showrunner Rashad Raisani. ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ star Chris O’Donnell takes the part of “Captain Don Sharpe,” a rugged fire captain and rodeo rider who runs Nashville’s busiest firehouse with his beloved son. Don’s a devoted husband and family man, but he has his secrets.
Pilot Possibilities
With so many of its shows renewed, ABC isn’t in a mad rush to order more scripted series. However, there are a number of potential new shows which they could decide to move forward with if they so wished. So, not yet ordered to series, but could be picked up in future:
- RJ Decker – Based on a character in Carl Hiaasen’s novel “Double Whammy”, Decker is a former newspaper photographer who turns into a private investigator. One of Hiaasen’s other novels, ‘Bad Monkey’, was recently turned into a series for Apple TV+. This pitch comes from ‘Elementary’ creator, Rob Doherty. 07/05/25 – Pilot Ordered
- A new ‘The Rookie’ spinoff – From ‘The Rookie’ creator, Alexi Hawley, all we know about this is that it is set in Washington state, and follows “a male cop who is stepping into a new phase of life in his second act. It reflects the major midlife change concept of the original series.”
- ‘Scrubs’ Reboot – Exactly what it says on the tin… A reboot of the comedy ‘Scrubs’, with the original cast returning, alongside some new faces, and original creator Bill Lawrence overseeing the project.
- Friends & Family – A new comedy that explores the intricate dynamics of friendships and family bonds, led by Cobie Smulders, and written by Morgan Murphy (Modern Family, 2 Broke Girls).
- The Sandwich – A humorous exploration of culinary adventures and the relationships that form around a simple sandwich, written by and starring Jessica St. Clair (Night Court, Royal Crackers) & Kyle Bornheimer (Avenue 5, Brooklyn Nine-Nine).
- Sisters-In-Law – A multi-camera comedy, two sisters-in-law who are struggling to get along finally bond when they are faced with a common enemy… a new third sister-in-law. From Sherry Bilsing Graham and Ellen Kreamer (American Housewife, Friends).
CBS
Renewals
CBS has also done a lot of its renewals and cancellations already this season. As we frequently mention, CBS is a really tough network, and the epitome of the phrase “You don’t have to run faster than the bear to get away. You just have to run faster than the guy next to you.” They have so many of the top shows on US broadcast TV, things which would survive on any other network, sometimes end up getting culled on CBS. Here is what they have renewed so far:
CBS renewed ‘Fire Country’ (Season 4), ‘Ghosts’ (two-season renewal up to Season 6), ‘FBI’ (already had a three-season renewal to Season 9), ‘NCIS’ (Season 23), ‘NCIS: Sydney’ (Season 3), ‘NCIS: Origins‘ (Season 2), ‘Tracker‘ (Season 3), ‘Elsbeth‘ (Season 3), ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage‘ (Season 2), ‘Matlock‘ (Season 2), and ‘Watson‘ (Season 2).
Cancelled/Ending
‘Blue Bloods‘ was cancelled after 14 Seasons, and is joined this year by ‘The Neighborhood’, which is renewed for an 8th but final season. ‘S.W.A.T.‘ could not “stay liquid” enough to escape the bear for a third time, and is cancelled after 8 Seasons. The biggest shock, though, both ‘FBI: International‘ and ‘FBI: Most Wanted‘ got cancelled after 6 and 4 seasons, respectively.
Still To Decide
The remaining CBS shows are very much “on the bubble”, with a number of new series vying to take their slots…
- The Equalizer – The Queen Latifah-fronted series has been slipping in the ratings the last couple of seasons. Whilst it was saved last year, it might be the end of the road this time around. 03/05/2025 – Cancelled.
- Poppa’s House – Freshman comedy about an ageing talk radio host featuring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. Struggling in the ratings and might not make it to season two… 22/04/2025 – Cancelled.
Pick Ups
The following are the shows which CBS has ordered to series so far this season:
- Boston Blue – A spin-off from ‘Blue Bloods’ which follows Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan as he takes a new job in Boston.
- Sheriff Country – A spin-off from ‘Fire Country’, which stars Morena Baccarin as straight-shooting sheriff Mickey Fox, the stepsister of Cal Fire’s division chief Sharon Leone (Diane Farr), who investigates criminal activity as she patrols the streets of small-town Edgewater while contending with her ex-con father and a mysterious incident involving her wayward daughter.
- FBI: CIA (retitled ‘CIA‘) – A new addition to Dick Wolf’s, FBI franchise, from Wolf, ‘Most Wanted’ showrunner David Hudgins, Nicole Perlman and former CIA officer David Chasteen, the drama centers on a dedicated, strait-laced FBI agent and a street-smart CIA agent who are part of a new, clandestine task force charged with solving and preventing domestic terrorism in and around New York City. – 22/04/2025 – Picked up to series.
- Einstein – A procedural dramedy which stars Matthew Gray Gubler as Lew Einstein, the great-grandson of Albert Einstein, who finds himself in trouble with the law while assisting a local police detective in solving complex homicide cases. 22/04/2025 – Picked up to series.
- ‘Y: Marshals‘ – Yellowstone spin-off. It sees Luke Grimes reprise his role as Kayce Dutton, and will be more procedural in nature, combining his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring range justice to Montana. – 08/05/2025 – Picked up to series.
Pilot Possibilities
Although CBS are tight for space on the network, they do have a number of potential pilots which they could decide to pick up. They are:
- DMV – Single-camera comedy set at the place everyone dreads going most: the DMV. The quirky and lovable characters are making minimum wage, doing a thankless job where customers are annoyed before they even walk in the door. Good thing they have each other. From Dana Klein (Friends, Fresh Off The Boat). 22/04/2025 – Picked up to series.
- Zarna – Centres on the eponymous heroine Zarna, a proud immigrant woman raising her American-born kids on Indian values. But now that they’re getting older, it’s time to focus on her American dream. From omedian and screenwriter Zarna Garg, with Darlene Hunt (Call Me Kat).
- The Neighborhood spin-off – It follows Marty (Marcel Spears) and Malcolm (Sheaun McKinney) Butler as they finally leave their parents’ nest to start the next chapters of their lives, finding themselves the newcomers in a neighborhood that’s both close by yet worlds apart: Venice Beach. 22/04/2025 – Not moving forward.
- The Equalizer Spin Off – Starring Titus Weliver. 22/04/2025 – Not moving forward.
FOX
Renewals
FOX is determined to maintain its iron grip as the US home of adult animation, handing out major four season EACH renewals to four of big shows in a new deal with Disney – ‘The Simpsons‘ taking it to Season 40, ‘Family Guy‘ to Season 27, ‘Bob’s Burgers‘ to Season 19, and welcomes back ‘American Dad!’, which had been airing on TBS in the US recently, but now returns to its original network, taking it to Season 23. The pickups for four seasons of all four shows are for 15 episodes per season, so an additional 60 episodes for each show. That is a slightly lower episode count for some of the shows, however, they have all been reducing their seasonal episode count in recent years, so this isn’t hugely unexpected.
Outside of the Disney “mega deal”, medical drama ‘Doc‘ has been renewed for Season 2, ‘Universal Basic Guys‘ is already renewed for Season 2, but is expected to get a 3rd Season (10/05/25 – Renewed for S3), ‘Krapopolis‘ was already renewed to Season 4 (10/05/25 – Renewed for S5), and ‘Murder In a Small Town‘ has been renewed for Season 2.
Cancelled/Ending
FOX said goodbye to one show this year, ‘911: Lone Star‘, which bowed out after 5 seasons.
Still To Decide
- The Great North – Comes from Disney, and was notably missing from the big 4×4 deal. It is bottom of the scripted series on FOX, might not make it to Season 6.
- Grimsburg – Another animated series, which doesn’t have the ratings of the Disney ones; However, it’s produced by FOX themselves, so financially is better for them, which makes it likely for renewal. 10/05/25 – Renewed
- Animal Control – The Joel McHale-fronted comedy does very well for FOX and internationally, so is almost certain to be renewed. 07/05/25 – Renewed
- Going Dutch – The series, which stars Denis Leary as an arrogant, loudmouth U.S. Army colonel who ends up reassigned to the Netherlands, hasn’t been overly stand-out ratings-wise, but is probably safe. 07/05/25 – Renewed
- Rescue: HI-Surf – The Hawaii-based first responder drama has been a steady performer for FOX, so is likely to land a second season. 07/05/25 – Cancelled
- Alert: Missing Persons Unit – The Scott Caan and Dania Ramirez-fronted drama slipped a bit in the ratings last year, but bounced back a bit this year as it found its feet. Probably solid enough for a renewal.
- The Cleaning Lady – It has only just started airing Season 4 in the USA, so possibly too early to tell, but it was “on the bubble” last season and managed to squeak through. Again, it could go either way.
- Accused – The anthology crime drama has really struggled in the ratings, so is very much a 50/50 on whether it gets a 3rd Season.
Pilot Possibilities
FOX hasn’t yet picked up any new shows, but is looking to take two new dramas straight-to-series for the new season. These are their options:
- State Patrol – From ‘Burn Notice’s Matt Nix, a high-stakes world of state troopers who are not only faced with external threats but also the complexities of their own lives.
- Baywatch Reboot – Also being shepherded by ‘Burn Notice’s Matt Nix (who is under a deal with FOX), is a reboot of the classic ‘Baywatch’. Whilst they do already have ‘Rescue: HI-Surf’, if they took this, the plan would be to run one in the Summer, and one in the Autumn so they don’t clash.
- Memory of a Killer – Angelo lives a double life as an assassin and a family man, which all worked out well until he was hit with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Now his worlds are colliding, putting his family in danger. From British writers Ed Whitmore (Silent Witness, Manhunt) and Tracey Malone (Silent Witness, Safe House). 12/05/25 – Ordered To Series.
- Doc Martin (renamed ‘Best Medicine‘) – From Liz Tuccillo (Alaska Daily, Sweetbitter), a US remake of the British series revolving around the experiences and challenges faced by a doctor in a small town. 09/05/25 – Ordered To Series.
- DEA – Written by former ’24’ star Carlos Bernard, and based around the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
They also have some possible comedy pilots available for pickup, although they may decide they don’t need more at this point. If they do, the options include:
- First Class Friends – A post office comedy from Bashir Salahuddin (GLOW), and Diallo Riddle (The Last O.G.).
- Daddio – From Casey Wilson (Happy Endings, Black Monday), based on her short, about a daughter and her eccentric father, separately struggling to cope with a tragedy.
- Thunderjacks – From Chad Mountain (The Righteous Gemstones, The After Party). Follows a famous former golf prodigy, who vanished into anonymity after a very public meltdown, is dragged into the limelight a decade later, forcing his dysfunctional family to futilely scramble to save their opulent lifestyle and fragile egos.
- Jim Belushi Comedy – A half-hour comedy starring Jim Belushi.
NBC
Renewals
NBC has only renewed two shows so far this season, both of them comedies – ‘Happy’s Place’, starring the iconic Reba McEntire, and ‘St. Denis Medical‘ from ‘Superstore’s Justin Spitzer, both of which get 2nd Seasons.
Cancelled/Ending
NBC hasn’t cancelled anything yet this season.
Still To Decide
One of the reasons for NBC being a little slower than the other networks on their renewals and pickups is due to some major schedule shuffling they need to do. That is because they acquired the right to air 180 hours of NBA Basketball in primetime next season, which puts some shows in a much more precarious position than they would otherwise have been… unless your name is “Dick Wolf”… The following series are still awaiting a decision on their fate:
- ‘Chicago Med‘, ‘Chicago Fire‘ & ‘Chicago PD‘ – All awaiting renewals, but I think everyone would be shocked if those Dick Wolf series aren’t a shoo-in for new seasons. 06/05/25 – Renewed
- ‘Law & Order: SVU‘ – Another Dick Wolf series, and should be completely safe. 08/05/25 – Renewed
- ‘Law & Order‘ – And another Dick Wolf series, which is in the odd position of being both old and new, which rather works to it’s advantage. Whilst it doesn’t rank quite as high as the Chicagos or SVU, it is cheaper, since it took a break, so all the contacts were brand new when it returned in 2022. Not on quite as solid ground as the other “Wolf” shows, but probably safe. 08/05/25 – Renewed
This is where things get tricky… NBC needs to clear enough primetime space on the schedule for 180 hours of basketball over the next year. That means viewing figures are not the only major factor playing into their renewal & cancellation decisions this year. It will also be based on what shows they think will work once they piece together what space they have left in their new schedule. That means something which might have got picked up pre-NBA acquisition could end up getting chopped, or something with higher ratings might end up losing out to something rated lower because it’s a better fit for the schedule. Here is what’s left, but be warned, this could get bloody…
- ‘Brilliant Minds‘ – The medical drama starring Zachary Quinto has been doing reasonable numbers, and probably has a reasonable chance of surviving for another season. 12/05/25 – Renewed
- ‘Found‘ – The missing person procedural also has respectable numbers, so has a higher chance of returning. 09/05/25 – Cancelled
- ‘The Hunting Party‘ – This procedural about a former profiler hunting down escaped serial killers has been one of the stronger of the new shows, although, hasn’t really had as much “buzz” about it as some of the others in the list. In any other year, we’d say “safe”. This time, it’s hard to tell. 12/05/25 – Renewed
- ‘Suits: LA ‘ – On the other end of things, despite a lot of “buzz”, the ‘Suits’ spin-off hasn’t performed as well as expected. On numbers, it probably shouldn’t survive, however, it is a big IP for NBC, which might save it. Could go either way. 09/05/25 – Cancelled
- ‘Grosse Pointe Garden Society‘ – The series, which follows four members of a suburban garden club who get caught up in murder and mischief, is at the bottom of NBC’s ratings, so very unlikely to get renewed by NBC. There is a slim chance it could be saved by being shoved over onto their streaming service Peacock, which might be a better fit for it.
- ‘The Irrational‘ – This procedural starring Jesse L. Martin is in its second season, and really hasn’t been setting the ratings on fire. Could be in trouble. 09/05/25 – Cancelled
- ‘Night Court‘ — This revival of the popular 80s/90s US sitcom has seen a ratings drop off in Seasons 2 & 3, but is still hanging in there for now. Couple that with the fact that NBC has three possible comedy pilots on deck, and it could place it in a precarious position. 09/05/25 – Cancelled
- ‘Lopez vs Lopez‘ – The George/Mayan Lopez comedy scraped through a renewal last year, but is very much “on the bubble” again this year. 09/05/25 – Cancelled
Pilot Possibilities
Like FOX, NBC has not done any actual pickups yet, and given they are losing space in primetime to air new shows, they really aren’t in any dire need of new drama or comedy. However, there are a few possibilities floating around for them to pilot, if they do want to switch things up:
- Sky On Fire – The USA’s first Latina president survives an assassination attempt and embarks on an undercover mission to expose the people responsible. From Emilio Ortega Aldrich (Arrow, Supergirl), Jake Coburn (The Hunting Party) and Julie Plec (Vampire Diaries).
- Tracy Morgan comedy (now titled ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins‘) – Morgan stars as a disgraced former football player who is on a mission to rehabilitate his image. From Tina Fey & Robert Carlock (30 Rock). This one is actually being filmed for a pilot by NBC, which could spell trouble for ‘Night Court‘ & ‘Lopez vs Lopez‘. 12/05/2025 – Picked up to series.
- Stumble – A mockumentary-style single-camera comedy set in the ultra-competitive world of junior college cheerleading, from Liz (Pivoting) and Jeff Astrof (Shining Vale).
The CW
Lastly, we come to The CW, which works differently from the other networks, as it doesn’t directly commission its own drama and comedy series. Instead, it buys into international co-productions, along with airing golf, reality TV, and variety shows. That means it doesn’t often have direct control over what shows get renewed or cancelled. This is where things stand with their current lineup:
- All American – The one show left standing after The CW got new owners. It’s made it to 7 Seasons, but really hard to say if it’ll make it to an 8th. Could go either way.
- Children Ruin Everything – Import from Canada’s CTV who cancelled it after 4 seasons.
- Good Cop/Bad Cop – Co-production with Roku and Australia’s Stan. Likely to land a 2nd Season.
- Joan – UK limited series, so not returning.
- Sherlock & Daughter – New brought in drama starring David Thewlis, Blu Hunt, and Dougray Scott. Hasn’t premiered on The CW yet, and airing (randomly) on Discovery+ in the UK later in April… So, no idea on this.
- Sight Unseen – Canadian co-production. Season 2 only just finished on CTV, so too early to say about Season 3.
- Son of a Critch – Canadian co-production. Season 4 is still airing on CBC, so too early to say about Season 5.
- Sullivan’s Crossing – Canadian co-production. Renewed to Season 3, which airs this April in Canada’s CTV.
- Wild Cards – Co-production from Canada’s CBC and The CW. Likely to get renewed for Season 3. 01/05/25 – Renewed (for seasons 3 & 4.)
- Family Law – Bought in drama from Canada’s Global. Season 4 has been filmed, but not yet released on The CW or in Canada (due to some strange rights issues…)
NOTE: Whilst we are marking some of the shows airing on The CW as “Renewed”, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be picked up again by The CW. Only that they have been renewed by their Canadian broadcaster.
So, that is where things currently stand with the US network’s renewals, cancellations, and pick-ups. The final “TV Bloodbath” date is likely to be Friday, 9th May 2025, as the “Upfront” presentations (where the networks present their new schedules to advertisers) begin on Monday, 12th May 2025. We will, of course, be posting updates to the site as we get more news, and you can always see when these shows are airing in the UK on the UK TV Air Dates page, or in the USA on the US TV Premiere Dates page.
