'Cops' canceled by Paramount Network in wake of George Floyd death, protests over police brutality
Bill Keveney USA TODAYAfter being pulled from the Paramount Network schedule last week in the aftermath of protests over George Floyd's killing while in police custody, "Cops" has been canceled.
The cable network announced the long-running reality series' fate in a short statement Tuesday: “‘Cops’ is not on the Paramount Network and we don’t have any current or future plans for it to return.”
"Cops" and other shows featuring real police on the streets, such as A&E's "Live PD," have come under new scrutiny in the wake of Floyd's death on Memorial Day and subsequent national protests about police brutality, racism and mistreatment of black people.
Floyd's funeral was held Tuesday in Houston.
Paramount aired "Ghostbusters" in the time slot where the Season 33 premiere of "Cops" was to air on June 8, while A&E cut short a "Live PD" marathon and pulled two new episodes of the series, which follows the activities of police and sheriff's departments from around the country, over the weekend.
Floyd was killed while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers on May 25, with one, Derek Chauvin, holding his knee on the 46-year-old man's neck for more than eight minutes. Chauvin and three fellow officers face various murder charges.
Effect of protests: 'Cops,' 'Live PD' episodes pulled in aftermath of George Floyd killing and protests
Floyd's death has led to a re-examination of all matters pertaining to police, including reality series such as "Cops" and scripted dramas, a longtime TV staple. USA TODAY television critic Kelly Lawler raised the question of whether scripted police shows should be canceled for their slanted portrayals, as other writers have advocated pulling such shows off the air.
A&E, which has no new episodes or reruns of "Live PD" scheduled, issued a statement last week explaining that the weekend's episodes were pulled out of respect for Floyd.
“Out of respect for the families of George Floyd and others who have lost their lives, in consultation with the departments we follow, and in consideration for the safety of all involved, we have made the decision not to broadcast 'Live PD' this weekend,” the statement said.
"Cops" was a pioneer in the law-enforcement docu-series format, premiering in 1989 on Fox, where it aired for 25 seasons. It survived an earlier cancellation, moving to Spike, which relaunched as Paramount Network in 2018. It had a six-season run on those cable networks.
Under scrutiny: Amid George Floyd protests, is it time for cop TV shows to be canceled for good?
Via PakapNews