Warner Bros. Discovery, the new parent company of TNT and TBS, is halting the development of scripted programming at the two networks in a move that aims to cut costs, according to Variety. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, David Zaslav, has been trying to cut $3 billion in costs across the company.
Variety also reports that the company has been currently evaluating the strategy for all of the “TNets”, which also includes truTV, ran by Brett Weitz, and will soon have a better idea of the roles for each of the networks after the evaluations under their new parent company.
It is currently unclear as to what will happen with TBS and TNT’s current slate of scripted programming, but returning series such as Snowpiercer will operate under the status quo, according to Variety.
Over the past decade, TNT and TBS had been increasing their scripted programming, but those kind of shows have been significantly cut down over the last few years.
TBS’ only remaining scripted shows are the comedies The Last OG, Miracle Workers, Chad, and American Dad. The Last OG aired its fourth season in October 2021 and it is currently unclear whether there will be a fifth. Miracle Workers aired its third season in July 2021 and was renewed for a fourth. Chad aired its first season in the summer of 2021 with a second season coming later this year. American Dad, which moved to TBS from Fox in 2014, was renewed for two more seasons in December 2021.
TNT has only two scripted shows left on its roster, which include Animal Kingdom, whose sixth and final season will premiere in June, and Snowpiercer, which was already renewed for a fourth season and is currently in the middle of airing its third season.
Warner Bros. Discovery has not commented on the situation as of now.