'Cops' canceled after 32 seasons by Paramount Network in wake of George Floyd death, police brutality protests
Paramount Network’s long-running crime reality show ‘Cops’ has officially been canceled. In the aftermath of the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day in Minneapolis, Minnesota, large-scale movements have sprung up across the country, demanding structural changes in police departments along with justice for Floyd. The conversations around police brutality and racial violence have been significant.
In that light, Variety last week reported that A&E decided not to run new episodes of ‘Live PD’ last weekend, and Paramount Network has delayed the season 33 launch of ‘Cops’ that was scheduled to return on Monday. Both shows have a similar format -- they follow real-life law enforcement officers from various regions and departments and capture their exploits in a cinéma vérité style.
“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,” A&E said in a statement last week.
While A&E has still not decided on the fate of ‘Live PD’, Paramount Network was quick to announce a cancelation. “‘Cops’ is not on the Paramount Network and we don’t have any current or future plans for it to return,” a Paramount Network spokesperson said in a statement.
‘Cops’ was originally launched on Fox in 1989. Paramount Network's forerunner, Spike TV, picked up the show in 2013 after it ended a 25-season run on Fox. The show has long been criticized for its portrayal of law enforcement and the glorification of some police tactics and methods.
In his podcast ‘Running from Cops’, Dan Taberski, chronicled hundreds of episodes of the show, and detailed instances where people were coerced into signing waivers and how production allowed police to edit and remove anything that would paint them in a negative light.
For the podcast, Taberski and his team interviewed producers of the show, police officers, some of the people arrested on camera, media-studies professors, and critics to unpack the show’s purpose, its effects, and how it was presented. Taberski found that ‘Cops’ portrays communities of color in a negative light very often, reinforcing cultural and racial stereotypes.
But the renewed protests against police brutality may not have been the only reason motivating the cancelation of ‘Cops’. According to The Hollywood Reporter, sources said that Paramount Network has been gradually moving away from unscripted programming. While there are a number of such shows in its roster, like ‘Ink Master’ and ‘Bar Rescue’, both remnants of the Spike TV era, things are likely to change soon.