According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cops, the long-running reality TV show, was canceled at Paramount Network following the worldwide protests as a result of the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police department. The series first began in 1989 and has since released more than 30 seasons; it is one of the longest running TV series in the U.S.
Cops mainly features police officers patrolling the streets for criminals while a camera crew follows their every move. Each episode often ends with an arrest. Over the years, the series has been criticized for its depiction of the police force and their suspects. Cops spent its first 25 seasons on Fox, until it was picked up by Spike TV, now known as Paramount Network.
A network spokesperson explained that “Cops is not on the Paramount Network and we don’t have any current or future plans for it to return.” While old episodes of the show still continue to air on Pluto TV and WGN America, the latter network’s commitment to the show is set to end by the end of June, via The Hollywood Reporter.
In support of the protests and Black Lives Matter movement, no episodes have been aired since the beginning of June. Meanwhile, the show’s 33rd and final season is set to premiere on Monday, via The Hollywood Reporter. A&E’s Live PD, following the same premise as Cops, took similar steps to show their support of the movement against police brutality by refusing to air a full week’s worth of episodes.