TV Show ‘Cops’ Dropped Following Outrage Over George Floyd’s Death

A still from Cops.

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Paramount Pictures has permanently pulled the plug on long-running TV show Cops in the wake of protests following the police-involved death of George Floyd on 25 May, according to a report by The New York Times. Earlier, the Viacom-owned cabler had removed the show from its schedule.

“Cops is not on the Paramount Network and we don’t have any current or future plans for it to return,” a network spokesperson said.

Old episodes of Cops have been airing on WGN America and the ViacomCBS-owned streaming service Pluto TV. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that WGN America’s commitment to the show expires at the end of June and the cable network, owned by Nexstar, doesn't plan to renew it.

The 33rd season of the show was supposed to premiere on Monday, 8 June, but no episode has been aired since 1 June as protests against police brutality and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement continued across the United States.

Cops has been under the scanner for years given the way it depicts police investigations and suspects. A podcast called Running From Cops detailed how officers would sometimes coerce subjects into signing releases to be filmed for the show, with the crew members having carried weapons and assisted police.