The popular U.S TV show with a massive audience, Cops have been cancelled after Paramount Network decided to pull the plug amid police brutality protests connected to the killing of George Floyd.
According to multiple reports, the network has decided to drop the long-running show from its schedule after nationwide protests against Police brutality and racism, and questions around the police department’s use of force.
“Cops is not on the Paramount Network and we don’t have any current or future plans for it to return,” a network spokesperson told Hollywood Reporter.
Paramount Network picked up the hit television show in 2013, while it was still Spike TV, and had ended it’s 25-season run on Fox Television
It was reported earlier this week, the network would be pulling episodes from its schedule but at the time, they had not made the decision to pull ALL future episodes. But, now it’s gone for good.
The show’s 33rd season was scheduled to premiere Monday, but nothing has aired on the network since June 1, as protests against police brutality continued throughout the United States.
Interestingly, A&E has also pulled episodes of it’s hit television show ‘Live PD’ in wake of the protests.
It has been reported, the network is also ‘evaluating’ whether or not to continue airing the show at all
‘Cops’ has faced backlash in the past over the way it depicts police tactics in the field. Also, according to EW.com, a study in 1994 found viewers were far more likely to associate black and brown people than whites with violent crime.
In 2018, co-creators John and Morgan Langley said in an interview they had adjusted the show to include a racially diverse mix of police officers and suspects in response to the criticism.