For the broadcast television networks — Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC and The CW — this has been a highly unusual year, to say the least. With production shut down last spring because of COVID-19, the networks, which generally produce a number of pilots from which to choose the next season’s schedule, instead had none. As a make-shift strategy, the networks renewed most of their existing shows, and put in a few straight-to-series orders.
Of course, making sure production would be safe took months to figure out, and scripted television didn’t get back up and running until late in the summer. As the season unfolded, the broadcasters rolled out premieres of returning shows, sprinkling in some new ones as well, with most scripted shows heading back on air in late fall and early winter. A few, such as CBS’ “Evil,” a hit during its first season, have yet to be scheduled.
The question, of course, is how much did this fluke of a season change network television forever? A show like “Grey’s Anatomy,” for instance, which in the past has aired 25 episodes a year, will only produce 17 this season — and even that’s a lot. Because of COVID-19 safety precautions, days on set are shorter and production is more expensive, making pilot season somewhat wan. And with ever-diminishing ratings for the broadcasters, does making tons of pilots even make sense anymore?
For years, the networks have wanted pilot season to evolve, and COVID finally forced that to happen. If network television is becoming more like cable or the streamers — ordering shows all year long, and renewing or canceling them off-cycle — that would be a significant change in the industry. And certainly, when you look at a show such as “Stumptown,” which was renewed last May, but then canceled in September for financial reasons before it could even go back into production, we’ve already seen huge shifts. Just look at “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” which ended up taking a year off, and then announcing that its upcoming eighth season — whenever that is — will be its last.
Times are certainly a-changin’.
What the upfronts — and upfront presentations — will look like this May is also still to be announced. But the annual ritual of canceling and renewing shows will again commence in earnest, as always.
This list will be continually updated, and here’s where things stand now.
Michael Schneider contributed to this report.
-
ABC
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC Renewed
“America’s Funniest Home Videos,” “American Idol,” “Big Sky,” “Black-ish,” “The Conners,” “Dancing With the Stars,” “The Goldbergs,” “The Good Doctor,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Holy Moley,” “Home Economics” “A Million Little Things,” “The Rookie,” “Shark Tank,” “Station 19,” “Supermarket Sweep”
Awaiting news
“20/20,” “The Bachelor,” “Card Sharks,” “Celebrity Family Feud,” “The Chase,” “The Hustler,” “Match Game,” “Pooch Perfect” “Press Your Luck,” “To Tell the Truth,” “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”
Hasn’t premiered or returned yet
“The $100,000 Pyramid,” “Bachelor in Paradise,” “The Bachelorette,” “The Celebrity Dating Game”
Canceled
“American Housewife,” “Call Your Mother,” “Don’t,” “For Life,” “Mixed-ish,” “Rebel,” “Stumptown”
-
CBS
Image Credit: Courtesy of CBS Renewed
“48 Hours,” “60 Minutes,” “B Positive,” “Bob Hearts Abishola,” “Blue Bloods,” “Bull,” “The Equalizer,” “FBI,” “FBI: Most Wanted,” “Magnum P.I.,” “NCIS,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “The Neighborhood,” “Survivor,” “S.W.A.T.,” “Tough as Nails” (for two seasons), “United States of Al,” “Young Sheldon” (for three seasons!)
Moved to Paramount Plus
“Evil,” “SEAL Team”
Awaiting news
“The Amazing Race,” “Clarice”
Hasn’t premiered or returned yet
“Big Brother,” “Blood & Treasure,” “Love Island,” “Undercover Boss”
Ending
“Mom,” “NCIS: New Orleans”
Canceled
“All Rise,” “MacGyver,” “The Unicorn”
-
The CW
Image Credit: Courtesy of Rebecca Brenneman/THE CW Renewed
“All American,” “Batwoman,” “Charmed,” “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” (for Season 7) “Dynasty” (for Season 5), “The Flash,” “In the Dark” (for Season 4), “Killer Camp,” Kung Fu,” “Legacies,” “Nancy Drew,” “The Outpost,” “Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” “Riverdale,” “Roswell, New Mexico,” “Stargirl,” “Superman & Lois,” “Two Sentence Horror Stories,” “Walker”
Awaiting news
“Devils,” “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”
Hasn’t premiered yet or returned yet
“Coroner (2021 TBA), “In the Dark” (Season 3 premieres June 9), “The Republic of Sarah” (series premiere June 14), “Roswell, New Mexico” (summer TBA)
Ending
“The 100,” “Black Lightning,” “Burden of Truth,” “Pandora,” “Supergirl,” “Supernatural”
-
Fox
Image Credit: Courtesy of Fox Renewed
“9-1-1,” “9-1-1: Lone Star,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “Call Me Kat,” “Duncanville,” “Family Guy,” “Friday Night Smackdown,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “The Great North,” “LEGO Masters,” “The Masked Dancer,” “The Masked Singer,” “The Resident,” “The Simpsons”
Awaiting news
“America’s Most Wanted,” “Cherries Wild,” “Game of Talents,” “MasterChef Junior,” “Name That Tune,” “So You Think You Can Dance” “Ultimate Tag”
Hasn’t premiered or returned yet
“Beat Shazam” (summer TBA), “Housebroken” (series premiere May 31), “Masterchef” (summer TBA), “Mental Samurai”
Canceled
“Bless the Harts,” “Filthy Rich,” “The Moodys,” “NeXt,” “Prodigal Son”
Ending
“Last Man Standing”
-
NBC
Image Credit: Courtesy of Virginia Sherwood/NBC Renewed
“The Blacklist,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago Med,” “Chicago P.D.,” “Kenan,” “Law & Order: Organized Crime,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Mr. Mayor,” “New Amsterdam,” “This Is Us,” “Transplant,” “The Voice,” “The Weakest Link,” “Young Rock”
Awaiting news
“Ellen’s Game of Games,” “Good Girls,” “Little Big Shots,” “Nurses,” “Songland,” “The Titan Games,” “The Wall,”
Hasn’t premiered or returned yet
“America’s Got Talent,” “American Ninja Warrior,” “College Bowl” (summer TBA), “Family Game Fight,” “Making It” (June 3), “Small Fortune” (summer TBA), “That’s My Jam” (summer TBA), “True Story” (summer TBA), “The Wheel,” “Who Do You Think You Are?” (2021 TBA)
Canceled
“Connecting,” “Debris,” “Manifest,” “World of Dance,” “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”
Ending
“Superstore”