After The TV Bloodbath – What TV Shows Survived, Which Fell, And Who’s Still Missing – May 2025 Edition

The battlefield is littered with casualties once again, as the US networks charged toward the Upfronts, with their flags held high and their swords bloodied. The 2025 edition of the annual TV Bloodbath sees old titans fall, underdogs rise, and several poor souls left trembling in renewal limbo. So who emerged victorious, who was slain in the night, and who’s still cowering behind a pilot script? Let’s break it down…

THE CANCELLATIONS

NBC led the charge this year (as predicted) thanks to the 180 hours of NBA basketball coverage they bought to slot into primetime… That forced the network to clear space, and it did so with ruthless efficiency. On the drama side, ‘The Irrational’ (4.4M viewers) and ‘Found’ (3.7M) were cut despite decent numbers. Even the buzz-heavy but underperforming ‘Suits: LA’ (2.1M) was also scrapped. Over in comedy, the axe fell with ‘Lopez vs Lopez’ (2.3M) and ‘Night Court’ (2.2M) both shown the door. No mercy was shown, clearing room for new blood and basketball.

CBS made surgical strikes, but they still stung. Long-running veterans ‘Blue Bloods’, ‘S.W.A.T.’, and ‘The Equalizer’ were retired, while two of the FBI offshoots — ‘FBI: International’ and ‘FBI: Most Wanted’ — were surprisingly cut. Even freshman comedy ‘Poppa’s House’ didn’t escape the chopping block. ‘The Neighborhood’ was renewed, but confirmed to end with its 8th season.

FOX executed its strategy with minimal losses. Only two shows fell — ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’, which came from Disney, and had become too expensive for the network, and first responder drama ‘Rescue: HI-Surf’, which just didn’t connect with audiences (although possibly clears the way for the revival of another beach-based rescue show…)

ABC kept its blade (mostly) holstered. Its only true casualty was ‘The Conners’. which bowed out with a final season. Having started out as a revival of ‘Roseanne’, the show found itself unexpectedly continuing without the original lead, but coming into it’s own, running for 7 Seasons.

THE RENEWALS

NBC’s Dick Wolf empire stood strong once again. ‘Chicago Fire’ continues to lead the charge as the network’s most-watched drama with 7.7M viewers, alongside ‘Chicago Med’, and ‘Chicago PD’. The battle-hardened ‘Law & Order’ and ‘Law & Order: SVU’ also make a triumphant return. The network renewed two freshman dramas: ‘Brilliant Minds‘, which pulled in 4.8M viewers, and ‘The Hunting Party‘, averaging 3.9M, a high-concept thriller about escaped killers from a black-site prison, led by Melissa Roxburgh. On the comedy side, newcomers ‘Happy’s Place’ and ‘St. Denis Medical‘ earned second seasons, giving the network at least some comedic and procedural continuity.

CBS, despite making some of the most shocking cuts this year, still emerges with a formidable roster of returning series. Procedurals remain its foundation, with the likes of ‘FBI’ already locked in through Season 9 and ‘NCIS’ continuing its legendary run into Season 23. The franchise also expands its international reach with ‘NCIS: Sydney’ and origin story ‘NCIS: Origins’. Returning sophomore series ‘Elsbeth’and ‘Tracker’, both secured renewals, alongside freshman medical mystery ‘Watson’, newcomer ‘Matlock’, and ‘Fire Country’ remain stalwart parts of the schedule. On the comedy front, ‘Ghosts’ continues to charm its way through another two seasons, joined by freshman spinoff ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’.

FOX brought back its core animated block in a massive “4×4” deal with Disney: ‘The Simpsons’ (Season 40), ‘Family Guy’ (Season 27), ‘Bob’s Burgers’ (Season 19), and ‘American Dad!’ (Season 23). All four shows renewed for four additional seasons each! These fan-favourite staples continue to define the network’s Sunday animation lineup. Meanwhile, FOX’s confidence in its own animated fare remains strong, with ‘Grimsburg’ (renewed to Season 3), ‘Krapopolis’ (renewed through Season 5), and ‘Universal Basic Guys’ (renewed through Season 3) all set to return. On the live-action side, FOX doubled down on unconventional comedy and offbeat drama. ‘Animal Control’, the Joel McHale-led workplace comedy, remains a sturdy performer both domestically and internationally. ‘Murder in a Small Town’, ‘Doc’, and ‘Going Dutch’ round out the renewals, each catering to niche but loyal audiences.

ABC’s lineup barely shifted, but its returning slate remains strong and diverse. Medical titan ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ sails on into its 22nd season, continuing its reign as one of primetime’s longest-running dramas. It’s joined by procedural mainstay ‘The Rookie’ (Season 8) and the breakout hit ‘Will Trent’ (Season 4), both of which maintain solid followings. Comedy continues to be a bright spot, with ‘Abbott Elementary’ (Season 5) anchoring ABC’s laugh lineup. Newer series ‘High Potential’ and ‘Shifting Gears’ have both earned second seasons, while ‘9-1-1’, was also renewed for Season 9, soon to be joined by a new spin-off.

STILL MIA

NBC has one stray still in the shadows, ‘Grosse Pointe Garden Society‘. Whilst it’s linear numbers are… “very not great”… on NBC itself, it has faired rather better on NBC’s streaming service Peacock. It is odd that the show, which follows four members of a suburban garden club who get caught up in murder and mischief, managed to avoid the axe during the network’s mass cull. Given it still seems to still be holding on to the ledge by its fingertips right now, it does make us wonder if NBC are trying to work out if a permenant shift to Peacock could land it a 2nd Season, but there has been no news either way yet.

FOX has four shows still in limbo. ‘The Great North‘, the animated comedy from Disney, was notably left out of the network’s big ‘4×4’ renewal deal. As one of FOX’s lowest-rated scripted series, and from an outside studio, its future beyond Season 5 is in question. On the live-action front, ‘Alert: Missing Persons Unit‘ and ‘The Cleaning Lady‘ are both still in the middle of their runs and have not yet been officially renewed or cancelled yet. Neither have stellar ratings, and ‘The Cleaning Lady’ particularly could be in trouble, but we’re likely not going to know their fates until their current seasons have ended. The last one, ‘Accused‘ ended its season back in December 2024, but its anthology format means it doesn’t follow a traditional renewal timeline. According to FOX Television President Michael Thorn, the network is in discussions with creator Howard Gordon and it could possibly make a return down the line, but for now, there are no active plans for a 3rd Season.

ABC has one key show still awaiting a final verdict — ‘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, averaging around 4.9 million viewers per week. However, that figure only retains about 77% of the audience from Murphy’s other show, ‘9-1-1‘, which precedes it on the ABC schedule. Discussions are ongoing between ABC and the producers, but this could prove to be a rare “miss” for Murphy. Eric Schrier, President of Disney TV Studios (whose division 20th Television produces all Murphy series), commented: “I really love Doctor Odyssey, I think it’s a wildly inventive show, and we’re doing everything we can to support it. That [renewal] decision ultimately lies with Ryan Murphy, whether Ryan wants to continue to do it, and he feels like there’s stories to tell that he feels confident in.” So, all is not lost at sea yet…

PICK-UPS

NBC has added only one new series: ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins‘, a comedy starring Tracy Morgan as a disgraced former football player trying to rebuild his image. Teaming up with Daniel Radcliffe and Erika Alexander, the series hails from the creators of 30 Rock reuniting them with Morgan.

CBS brings in six fresh titles to fill the gaps: ‘Boston Blue’, a spinoff from Blue Bloods following Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan as he tackles new crimes in a new city, with Star Trek: Discovery’s Sonequa Martin-Green as the female lead; ‘Sheriff Country’, franchise expansion from Fire Country centering on Morena Baccarin’s small-town sheriff battling both personal demons and local corruption; and ‘CIA’, a high-stakes thriller from Dick Wolf pairing a straight-laced FBI agent with a street-smart CIA operative to stop domestic threats, starring the wonderful Tom Ellis (Lucifer) in the lead. On the quirkier side, ‘Einstein’ is a procedural dramedy starring Matthew Gray Gubler (Criminal Minds) as the eccentric great-grandson of Albert Einstein helping police crack tough cases. ‘DMV’ brings a workplace sitcom vibe to everyone’s least favorite government office, and ‘Y: Marshals’ injects Yellowstone grit into a procedural format with Luke Grimes reprising his role as Kayce Dutton on a quest for frontier justice.

FOX has picked up two new shows so far. ‘Best Medicine’ is a heartfelt U.S. remake of Doc Martin, with Josh Charles (The Good Wife) starring as a brilliant but blunt doctor whose move to a quirky small town brings both culture clashes and reluctant charm. Meanwhile, ‘Memory of a Killer‘ starring Patrick Dempsey (Grey’s Anatomy), delivers a darker, psychological edge, following an aging assassin with early-onset Alzheimer’s as he struggles to separate past from present while protecting his family.

ABC has added ‘9-1-1: Nashville’ so far, a fiery new chapter in the popular first responder franchise. The series follows rugged fire captain Don Sharpe (played by Chris O’Donnell), a former rodeo rider and family man with a troubled past, who leads the busiest firehouse in Nashville. With drama both at home and on the frontlines, it promises high-octane emergencies mixed with emotional depth.

POTENTIAL PICK-UPS

CBS has passed on spin-offs from ‘The Neighborhood’ and ‘The Equalizer’, but still has the comedy ‘Zarna’ as a possible pick-up. From comedian and screenwriter Zarna Garg, with Darlene Hunt (Call Me Kat) which centres on the eponymous heroine Zarna, a proud immigrant woman raising her American-born kids on Indian values.

NBC has several pilots still in development, including ‘Sky On Fire’, a political thriller about the USA’s first Latina president who survives an assassination attempt and goes undercover to expose the conspiracy behind it. There’s also ‘Stumble’, a mockumentary-style single-camera comedy set in the hyper-competitive world of junior college cheerleading, from Liz Astrof and Jeff Astrof.

FOX has the deepest bench of potential recruits. These include ‘State Patrol’, a high-stakes drama from Burn Notice’s Matt Nix about elite highway patrol officers, and a ‘Baywatch’ reboot also from Nix, which could serve as a more buzz-worthy replacement for the cancelled ‘Rescue: HI-Surf’. Other contenders include ‘DEA’, written by former 24 star Carlos Bernard; ‘Daddio’, based on Casey Wilson’s short about a grieving father-daughter duo; ‘Thunderjacks’, a dark family comedy centred on a fallen golf prodigy and his dysfunctional family; And a half-hour Jim Belushi comedy exploring life after fame.

ABC has several promising candidates still in contention: a ‘Scrubs’ reboot that would bring back the original cast with new faces under the guidance of creator Bill Lawrence; a ‘Rookie’ spin-off set in Washington State focused on a cop undergoing a late-in-life career shift; ‘Friends & Family’, a heartfelt comedy starring Cobie Smulders about the bonds that define modern life; ‘The Sandwich’, a culinary dramedy about connection through food; ‘Sisters-in-Law’, about feuding family members uniting against a new in-law; and ‘RJ Decker’, based on Carl Hiaasen’s novel about a disgraced journalist and ex-con turned private investigator chasing corruption in Florida. Out of these, ‘RJ Decker’ is the only one so far to receive a pilot order and additional script commitments from ABC, meaning, assuming they like the pilot, it is likely to go to series.

BLOODBATH RATINGS

Here’s how each of the major networks fared numerically:

• ‘NBC – WOUNDED, BUT STILL STANDING (Bloodbath Rating 8/10)’
  A brutal cull to make room for basketball, with one new comedy pickup confirmed. The (Dick) Wolf Pack survives, but many others fell.
• ‘CBS – TACTICAL BUT BLOODY (Bloodbath Rating  6/10)’
  When you’re top of the ratings game, even the strong get cut. Strategic, brutal, but controlled.
• ‘FOX – MINIMAL LOSSES, MAXIMUM STRATEGY (Bloodbath Rating 3/10)’
  More of a tactical repositioning than a battle. Losses were light; strategy was sound.
• ‘ABC – FLUFFIEST NETWORK 2025 (Bloodbath Rating 2/10)’
  Barely unsheathed a blade. Calm, composed — and this year’s fluffiest winner.

CONCLUSION

With NBC swinging the axe hard, CBS making strategic sacrifices, FOX deploying tactical minimalism, and ABC keeping its sword sheathed, the 2025 Bloodbath has proven that even TV’s longest-serving warriors can fall. As always, the real winners are the shows that live to fight another season — and the viewers who get to watch the next battle unfold.

Stay tuned to Geektown as we update you on the missing, the rescued, and the pilots that might just become next year’s champions.