TV news roundup special: Season 2019 – 2020 cancellations, renewals and pickups
Welcome to this special TV news roundup in which we give you a roundup of which American broadcast network TV series have been cancelled, renewed and picked up for the 2019 – 2020 season.
At the upfronts in May, the presentations of the schedules of the next season, American broadcast networks reveal which series they keep, have picked up and have cancelled. If that news was not released beforehand already. In this TV news roundup special we will give you an overview of which of your series will not return, which will, and what will be new series for your consideration.
Cancelled
Here are the series that have bitten the dust during the 2018 – 2019 season and will not be returning for the 2019 – 2020 season, which starts in September. We will be going by network and if a series has ended rather than cancelled, we will of course mention that.
ABC
- For the People: This legal drama from Paul William Davies (Scandal) and starring Hope Davis (Captain America: Civil War) among others was cancelled after two seasons. Not even the backing of super-producer Shonda Rhimes could not give the series a third season.
- Speechless: The comedy series from Scott Silveri (Friends) starring Minnie Driver (Jurassic Park: Trespasser) as a fierce mother of a family with a disabled teenage son, lasted three seasons.
- Splitting Up Together: Based on the Danish comedy series Bedre skilt end aldrig, this American adaption by Emily Kapnek (Parks and Recreation) about the divorced family of Jenna Fischer (You, Me and the Apocalypse) and Oliver Hudson (The Christmas Chronicles) ran for two seasons.
- The Fix: Created by Marcia Clark (lead prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder case), Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain (Dollhouse) this legal drama clearly inspired by the O.J. Simpson trial was cancelled after one season. It starred Robin Tunney (Prison Break) and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Suicide Squad) among others.
- The Kids Are Alright: This 1970s Los Angeles set comedy about a Irish Catholic family with eight sons from Tim Doyle (Last Man Standing) starring Jack Gore (Billions) was canceled after one season.
- Whiskey Cavalier: This comedic spy drama was created by David Hemingson (Bones) and starred Scott Foley (Scandal) in the titular role, Lauren Cohan (The Walking Dead) and Ana Ortiz (Devious Maids) among others. The now 13-episode series will air its final episode on Wednesday, May 22. Producing studio Warner Bros. has said that they will shop the series to other outlets, but the chances for that happening are always slim.
CBS
- Elementary: This New York City-set modern variant of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s character Sherlock Holmes stands among the cancelled series, but it actually is going to start airing its seventh and final season on Thursday, May 23. The crime drama is created by Robert Doherty (Star Trek: Voyager) and stars Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting) as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels) as Doctor Joan Watson.
- Fam: Cancelled after one season this comedy series from Corinne Kingsbury (In the Dark) starred Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries) and Tone Bell (Disjointed) as fiancées who suddenly get extra family living in.
- Happy Together: Also cancelled after one season is this comedy series from Tim McAuliffe (The Last Man on Earth) and Austen Earl (The Millers) starred Amber Stevens West (22 Jump Street) and Damon Wayans Jr. (New Girl) as a showbiz accountant who get emerging popstar Felix Mallard (Locke & Key) living in.
- Life in Pieces: After four seasons Justin Adler’s (Better Off Ted) multigenerational comedy series starring Colin Hanks (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) among others has been cancelled.
- Murphy Brown: A short-lived 11th season revival for the long-running late ‘80s and ‘90s television newsmagazine comedy from Diane English (Love & War) and starring Candice Bergen (Book Club). Already cancelled, at least 13 extra episodes can be added to the series original 260.
- The Big Bang Theory: The hit nerd comedy from creators Chuck Lorre (Mom) and Bill Prady (The Muppets (2015)) has ended its reign as one of the most watched TV shows with Season 12 and in total 279 (plus one unaired Pilot episode). The series starred Johnny Galecki (Roseanne), Jim Parsons (Hidden Figures), Kaley Cuoco (Charmed), Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins), and Kunal Nayyar (Trolls). They were later joined by Mayim Bialik (Blossom), Melissa Rauch (Batman and Harley Quinn) and Kevin Sussman (Wet Hot American Summer). The series also had numerous celebrity cameos, most prominently Professor Stephen Hawking on numerous occasions. Prequel spin-off series Young Sheldon is kept around by CBS. A talked about second spin-off will not press forward.
- The Code: This legal drama series by Craig Sweeny (Star Trek: Discovery) and Craig Turk (FBI) has been cancelled after one season. It starred Luke Mitchell (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) among others.
- The Red Line: This police-shooting drama from Caitlin Parrish (Supergirl) and Erica Weiss was always going to be a miniseries of six episodes. It starred Noah Wyle (R., The Librarians) and Noel Fisher (Castle Rock) among others.
Fox
- Gotham: The Batman prequel series from Bruno Heller (The Mentalist) starring Ben McKenzie (The O.C.) as Jim Gordon, Donal Logue (Vikings) as Harvey Bullock, David Mazouz (Touch) as Bruce Wayne and Sean Pertwee (Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag) as Bruce’s butler Alfred Pennyworth among many others, has ended after five seasons. Bruno Heller is not yet done with Batman, though. Or rather his butler Alfred, as 1960s London set Pennyworth is premiering on Epix this Summer.
- Lethal Weapon: After three seasons this TV adaption of the movie series by Matthew Miller (Chuck) has come to an end. The series originally starred Damon Wayans (My Wife and Kids.) and Clayne Crawford (Rectify), but behind-the-scenes issues resulted in Crawford leaving the series and even putting a third season in doubt. Bringing in Seann William Scott (American Pie) as a replacement in Season 3. The cancellation of the series did not come a surprise, though. As Wayans had been hinting at leaving the series anyway in recently.
- Rel: It is one and done for this comedy series created and starring Lil Rel Howery (Get Out) as a recently divorced nurse.
- Star: The music and teen drama from Lee Daniels (Empire) and Tom Donaghy (The Whole Truth) has been cancelled after three seasons and a crossover with Empire.
- Proven Innocent: David Elliot’s (I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra) wrongful conviction legal drama has been cancelled after one season. It starred Rachelle Lefevre (Under the Dome) and Kelsey Grammer (Cheers, Frasier) among others.
- The Cool Kids: Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Paul Fruchbom elderly comedy has been cancelled after one season. It starred David Alan Grier (Bad Teacher), Martin Mull (Veep), Leslie Jordan (American Horror Story) and Vicki Lawrence (Great News).
- The Gifted: Being based on Marvel’s X-Men comics did not help Matt Nix’s (Burn Notice) mutants-on-the-run TV series. After two seasons the series has been cancelled on a cliffhanger. The ensemble cast starred Amy Acker (Person of Interest) and Stephen Moyer (True Blood) among others.
- The Passage: Elizabeth Heldens’ (The Orville) adaption of Justin Cronin’s looming vampire dystopia novel trilogy has been cancelled after one season. It starred Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Pitch) and Saniyya Sidney (Hidden Figures) among others.
NBC
- Abby’s: This “outdoor Cheers” comedy series by Josh Malmuth (Superstore) and starring Natalie Morales (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) has been cancelled after one season.
- A.P. Bio: After two seasons Mike O’Brien’s (Saturday Night Live) high school comedy about disgraced teacher Glenn Howerton (The Mindy Project) has been cancelled.
- I Feel Bad: It is one-and-done for Aseem Batra’s (Scrubs) comedy about mother Sarayu Rao (No Tomorrow) who has everything but does not realize it.
- Midnight, Texas: Promoted from Summer to the normal broadcast season, Monica Owusu-Breen (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) adaption of Charlaine Harris’s novels about a supernatural town, has been cancelled after two seasons.
- The Enemy Within: Created by Ken Woodruff (Gotham) and starring Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) as a CIA Deputy Director of Operations that gets tricked into treason by a master terrorist who gets pulled out of prison to help catch said terrorist, has been cancelled after one season.
- The Village: Mike Daniels’ (Sons of Anarchy) ensemble drama series following the residents of an apartment building in Brooklyn, New York City, has been cancelled after one season.
The CW
- Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Rachel Bloom (Robot Chicken) and Aline Brosh McKenna’s (The Devil Wears Prada) musical romantic comedy has ended after four seasons, 62 episodes and a concert special.
- iZombie: The DC imprint Vertigo comics adaption from Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright (Veronica Mars) about a Seattle, Washington medical resident who turns into a zombie, has come to an end after five seasons and 71 episodes.
- Jane the Virgin: The comedic drama and telenovela satire Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning series, about a Venezuelan-American woman who mistakenly becomes inseminated by a doctor, has come to an end after five seasons and 100 episodes. A proposed anthology spin-off series called Jane the Novela, has not been picked up by The CW.
Renewed
ABC
- A Million Little Things: D.J. Nash’s (Truth Be Told) ensemble drama series and ABC’s Boston-set answer to NBC’s This is Us, has been renewed for a second season.
- Black-ish: Kenya Barris (Girls Trip) comedy series starring Anthony Anderson (Ferdinand) and Tracee Ellis Ross (Girlfriends) as the parents in an upper-middle-class African-American family has received a sixth season order. Next season the series will be joined by prequel spin-off series Mixed-ish, while on cable channel Freeform first spin-off Grown-ish has been renewed for a third season.
- Grey’s Anatomy: The Seattle, Washington-set hospital drama from Shonda Rhimes (Scandal) and starring Ellen Pompeo (Daredevil) is not going anywhere, as it is renewed for a 16th and 17th season.
- How to Get Away With Murder: Peter Nowalk’s (Grey’s Anatomy) legal drama, starring Viola Davis (Suicide Squad) as a law professor, has been renewed for a sixth season.
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Marvel Cinematic Universe-set sci-fi series from Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen (Dollhouse) has just started Season 6, but last year it was already renewed for Season 7 as well.
- Modern Family: The mockumentary family sitcom from Christopher Lloyd and Christopher Lloyd (Frasier) will enter its eleventh and final season.
- The Conners: The Roseanne spin-off sequel/replacement has been renewed for a Season 2, with John Goodman (Kong: Skull Island) returning as the head of the family and maybe with more Johnny Galecki now that The Big Bang Theory has ended. Season 2 will have 19 episodes, eight more than Season 1’s 11 episodes.
- The Goldbergs: Adam F. Goldberg’s (Community) 1980s set comedy series based on his own childhood has been renewed for a seventh season.
- The Good Doctor: David Shore’s (House, M.D.) adaption of the Korean series Good Doctor, starring Freddie Highmore (Bates Motel) as a young autistic surgeon, has received a third season order.
- Schooled: The 1990s high school set spin-off series of comedy series from The Goldbergs, created by Adam F. Goldberg and Marc Firek, has received a Season 2 renewal.
- Station 19: The second Grey’s Anatomy spin-off series from Stacy McKee about Seattle, Washington firefighters will join its parent series next season, as it was renewed for Season 3.
CBS
- Blue Bloods: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess’ police drama about the Reagan family of police officers with the New York City Police Department has received a tenth season order.
- Bull: Dr Phil McGraw and Paul Attanasio’s (House, M.D.) legal psychologist drama based on McGraw’s experience as a trial consultant, has been renewed for a fourth season. However, it was not without its controversy. Series star Michael Weatherly’s harassment controversy put the renewal up in the air and executive producers Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey and Steven Spielberg along with his production company Amblin Television pulled out from the series.
- Criminal Minds: The long-running FBI procedural from Jeff Davis (Teen Wolf) will come to an end with a 10-episode 15th and final season. The series outlived two short-lived spin-offs in Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, as well as a Korean remake.
- FBI: Dick Wolf (Law & Order) and Craig Turk’s (The Good Wife) FBI drama was such a success for CBS that not only did it get a second season renewal but it will also get a spin-off next season!
- God Friended Me: The comedic drama from Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt (Gotham), about a man (Brandon Micheal Hall) who becomes friends with God on social media, has received a second season order.
- Hawaii Five-0: The remake of Leonard Freeman’s 1980s police series from Peter M. Lenkov (CSI: NY), Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Fringe) will go into Season 10 next season. The series shares a universe with NCIS, MacGyver and Magnum, P.I.
- Instinct: Michael Rauch’s (Royal Pains) TV adaption of James Patterson & Howard Roughan’s 2017 novel Murder Games (since reprinted as Instinct), starring Alan Cumming (X-Men 2) as psychology professor Dylan Reinhart, was already renewed for a second season at the beginning of the broadcast season, thanks to airing during the Summer. Season 2 will start on Sunday, June 16.
- MacGyver: The reboot from Peter M. Lenkov (Hawaii Five-0) based upon Lee David Zlotoff’s original series is going strong and will return for Season 4. The series shares a universe with Hawaii Five-0.
- Madam Secretary: The political drama series headlined and produced by Téa Leoni (Jurassic Park III) and created by Barbara Hall (Homeland) will have a final sixth season of 10 episodes. Leoni will, therefore, be playing United States Secretary of State in a total of 120 episodes.
- Magnum, P.I.: CBS’s latest reboot of a 1980s series has gone down well in the ratings, even if the new Magnum (Jay Hernandez) does not have a moustache. Peter M. Lenkov (MacGyver) and Eric Guggenheim’s (Parenthood) crime drama reboot based upon Donald P. Bellisario and Glen A. Larson’s original 1980s series, will return for Season 2. The series shares a universe with Hawaii Five-0.
- Man With a Plan: The comedy series created by Jackie and Jeff Filgo (The New Adventures of Old Christine) with Matt LeBlanc (Friends) as a dad has scored a fourth season.
- Mom: One of two Chuck Lorre comedy series gets a double renewal this year. Probably to keep him attached to CBS after his hit comedy The Big Bang Theory has come to an end. Dysfunctional family sitcom Mom will return for Season 7 and 8.
- NCIS: Of course has CBS renewed its hit Naval investigation procedural drama! The Mark Harmon (Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths) starring series from Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill (JAG) will return for Season 17. Currently, there are rumours about a revival of NCIS’s parent series JAG, as the main characters from that series returned as guest stars this past season.
- NCIS: Los Angeles: NCIS’s first spin-off from Shane Brennan (Flipper) starring Chris O’Donnell (Batman Forever), Daniela Ruah (Eurovision Song Contest 2018) and LL Cool J (Deep Blue Sea) among others will return for an eleventh season. The series shares a universe with Hawaii Five-0 and Scorpion.
- NCIS: New Orleans: The second NCIS spin-off also goes with the sixth season! The series comes from Gary Glasberg (Rugrats) and stars Scott Bakula (Star Trek: Enterprise), Lucas Black (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) and CCH Pounder (Avatar) among others.
- SEAL Team: The military drama series from Benjamin Cavell and starring David Boreanaz (Angel, Bones) will return for a third season.
- S.W.A.T.: The TV reboot (after a theatrical and a direct-to-video movie) from Aaron Rahsaan Thomas (CSI: NY) and Shawn Ryan (Timeless), based upon the 1970s series by Robert Hamner (Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders) and Rick Husky (Charlie’s Angels), will return for Season 3.
- The Neighborhood: The neighbour sitcom from Jim Reynolds (The Big Bang Theory) and starring Cedric the Entertainer (Madagascar), Max Greenfield (New Girl) and Beth Behrs (2 Broke Girls) among others, returns for Season 2.
- Young Sheldon: Chuck Lorre’s other comedy that got a double renewal. The Big Bang Theory prequel spin-off will return for Season 3 and 4.
Fox
An interesting situation coming next season. With the Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox divisions, like 20th Century Fox TV, all of Fox’s series have gone from second party to third party productions, now owned by Disney. The broadcast network Fox is not owned by Disney but still by 21st Century Fox. This removes the financial incentive to keep a series around for that sweet syndication money, which often gives series that one extra season and/or conclusion. A different situation than at the other broadcast networks.
- 9-1-1: Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story), Brad Falchuk (Pose) and Tim Minear’s (Feud) Los Angeles-set first responder drama, starring Angela Bassett (Black Panther) and Jennifer Love Hewitt (Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit) among others, returns for Season 3 and is joined by a spin-off.
- Bob’s Burgers: The animated comedy series from Loren Bouchard ( Katz, Professional Therapist) about a family running a burger restaurant returns for a tenth season and gets a theatrical movie set for a July 17, 2020 release.
- Empire: The hip-hop drama series that recently had some real life drama added to it will return for a sixth and final season. The series is created by Lee Daniels (The Butler) and Danny Strong (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay), stars Terrence Howard (Iron Man) and Taraji P. Henson (Person of Interest) among others, and had a crossover with cancelled Fox series Star.
- Family Guy: Seth MacFarlane’s (Ted) animated family comedy series keeps on going with season eighteen!
- Last Man Standing: After a season long gap Fox revived Jack Burditt’s (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) comedy series starring Tim Allen (Home Improvement), and apparently with success, as an eight season has been ordered.
- The Orville: Seth MacFarlane’s homage series to Star Trek has come into his own and has been renewed for a third season of him writing and starring as USS Orville Captain Ed Mercer. Other roles are for Adrianne Palicki (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Penny Johnson Jerald (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Scott Grimes (Band of Brothers), Peter Macon (Shameless), J. Lee (LEGO Marvel Super Heroes: Avengers Reassembled), Mark Jackson (Royal National Theatre’s War Horse) and Jessica Szohr (Ted 2). Next to Johnson Jerald there are numerous other Star Trek veterans on and behind the scenes, like Robert Picardo and Tim Russ of Star Trek: Voyager, John Billingsley of Star Trek: Enterprise, and Marina Sirtis and Jonathan Frakes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Brannon Braga, showrunner of Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise and movies Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: First Contact, produces the series and has directed a number of episodes. Dark Horse Comics will also launch a initially four-issue comic.
- The Resident: The medical drama from Amy Holden Jones (Indecent Proposal), Hayley Schore and Roshan Sethi (Code Black) returns for Season 3.
- The Simpsons: Matt Groening’s long running animated comedy will keep on running even longer, with a 31st and 32nd season coming up.
NBC
- Blindspot: The crime mystery series from Martin Gero (Stargate: Universe) has received a fifth and final season renewal. The series stars Jamie Alexander (Thor) as an amnesiac woman covered in tattoos connected to crimes.
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The police procedural ensemble comedy by Dan Goor (Parks and Recreation) and Michael Schur (The Good Place) and starring Andy Samberg (Storks) and Terry Crews (The Expendables) among others was saved by NBC after Fox cancelled it last season. NBC must be happy with that safe, as it has renewed the series for a seventh season.
- Chicago Fire: Executive producer Dick Wolf’s (Law & Order) first of the “One Chicago” series, created by Derek Haas and Michael Brandt (3:10 to Yuma), that follows the firefighters and paramedics working at Firehouse 51 of the Chicago Fire Department will go on to Season 8.
- Chicago P.D.: The second “One Chicago” series, created by Dick Wolf (FBI) and Matt Olmstead (NYPD Blue), that follows the uniformed patrol officers and the Intelligence Unit of the 21st District of the Chicago Police Department, will enter Season 7.
- Chicago Med: The third “One Chicago” series, created by Dick Wolf (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) and Matt Olmstead (Prison Break), follows the emergency department doctors and nurses of the fictional Gaffney Chicago Medical Center into Season 5.
- Good Girls: This comedic crime drama is renewed for a third season. Created by Jenna Bans (Off the Map) and starring Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Marietta Sangai Sirleaf (Parks and Recreation) and Mae Whitman (Arrested Development) as three suburban Michigan mothers who become robbers to make ends meet.
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Dick Wolf’s (Chicago P.D.) series about the SVU of the 16th Precinct of the New York City Police Department is writing TV history with its renewal for Season 21! It now runs longer than parent series Law & Order, which shared the record with western series Gunsmoke for the longest-running live-action series in U.S. television history. Law & Order: SVU shares a universe with the “One Chicago” series.
- Manifest: The mystery series created by Jeff Rake (The Mysteries of Laura) and executive produced by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future) is one of the few post-Lost mystery series that make it to a second season. The series stars Melissa Roxburgh (Star Trek Beyond) and Josh Dallas (Once Upon A Time) among others, as passengers of an airliner that goes missing for years only to then land with the passengers not being aware they have bee n missing.
- New Amsterdam: David Schulner’s (The Event) medical drama, based upon series producer Eric Manheimer, M.D.’s 2012 book Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital, has been renewed for a second season. It stars Ryan Eggold (The Blacklist), Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who) and Janet Montgomery (Salem) among others, as Eggold’s Dr. Max Goodwin comes in as the medical director of one of the United States’ oldest public hospitals to tear through the bureaucracy that has bogged down the care to patients.
- Superstore: Justin Spitzer’s (The OfficeS.) comedy series about the employees of Cloud 9 big-box store in St. Louis, Missouri has been renewed for a fifth season. Superstore shares a universe with The Mindy Project, Good Girls and I Feel Bad thanks to other Cloud 9 stores showing up in those series.
- The Blacklist: Jon Bokenkamp’s (Perfect Stranger) crime thriller series starring Megan Boone (Law & Order: Los Angeles) and James Spader (Stargate) as criminal mastermind Raymond “Red” Reddington among others, has been renewed for a seventh season.
- The Good Place: The heavenly comedy series created by Michael Schur (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and starring Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) and Ted Danson (Cheers) among others, will return for a fourth but final season.
- This is Us: NBC is really happy with the ratings this drama series bring in, as This is Us has been renewed for Season 3, Season 4, and Season 5. Two season renewals happen from time to time, but a three-season renewal is a unicorn. The series from Dan Fogelman (Tangled, Indiana Jones 5) and starring an ensemble cast including Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes), Mandy Moore (Tangled), Sterling K. Brown (Black Panther), Chrissy Metz (American Horror Story) and others, will therefore be around until at least the 2021 – 2022 season.
- Will & Grace: The comedy series created by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick ($#*! My Dad Says) and starring Debra Messing (The Mysteries of Laura), Eric McCormack (Travelers), Sean Hayes (Tangled: The Series), and Megan Mullally (The Disaster Artist), was already renewed for a third revival and 11th season overall last season.
The CW
- All American: American football sports drama from April Blair (The Shannara Chronicles) inspired by the life of professional football player Spencer Paysinger, will return for a second season.
- Arrow: Not the first DC comics-based series at The CW, but the one that started the shared universe we can watch today, will return for Season 8. That will also be the final season of ten episodes (totalling 180 episodes) for the Starling City vigilante Oliver Queen/Green Arrow played by Stephen Amell (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows). The Greg Berlanti (Titans), Marc Guggenheim (Trollhunters) and Andrew Kreisberg (Fringe) developed series will come to a head in the big annual crossover between DC series titled Crisis on Infinite Earths.
- Black Lightning: Mara Brock Akil’s (Being Mary Jane) adaption of DC’s Black Lightning comics will return for a third season. Currently, it still is not connected to the other DC comics series on The CW, apart from some easter eggs. It is also considered in another universe, but that does not have to be a problem, as Supergirl proves.
- Charmed: The reboot of Constance M. Burge’s fantasy series about three sister witches by Jennie Snyder Urman, Jessica O’Toole and Amy Rardin (Jane the Virgin) has been renewed for a second season.
- DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The time travel series based on numerous DC comics, including Time Masters, Firestorm, Hellblazer, The Flash, etc., will return for a fourth season and will again participate in this year’s big annual crossover between DC series, Crisis on Infinite Earths, after sitting the last one out. That will also be when the new season starts, in early 2020. The series is developed by Greg Berlanti (Riverdale), Marc Guggenheim (Green Lantern), Andrew Kreisberg (Warehouse 13) and Phil Klemmer (Chuck).
- Dynasty: Sallie Patrick (Limitless), Josh Schwartz (The O.C.) and Stephanie Savage’s (Gossip Girl) reboot of the 1980s hit primetime soap opera of Richard and Esther Shapiro, may not be a ratings hit itself (far from it), but thanks to a deal with Netflix a third season is coming.
- In the Dark: The comedic drama created by Corinne Kingsbury (The Newsroom) about a blind young woman (Perry Mattfeld) who starts to investigate a murder when the authorities are not inclined to, has received a second season order.
- Legacies: The supernatural spin-off series to The Vampire Diaries and The Originals about students at Charles Xavier’s Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted from Julie Plec (Containment), will continue into a second season.
- Riverdale: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s adaption of the Archie Comics, of which he also is Chief Creative Officer, will have a fourth season. The series shares a universe with upcoming spin-off Katy Keene and Netflix Original Series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in which Moses Thiessen’s Riverdale character Moses Thiessen showed up (weirdly enough Archie comics are sold in Sabrina, so who knows how it all fits together).
- Roswell, New Mexico: The second adaption of Melinda Metz’s Roswell High novels, this time by Carina Adly MacKenzie (The Originals), about secret aliens in the titular town, has been renewed for Season 2.
- Supergirl: Greg Berlanti (Blindspot), Andrew Kreisberg (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) and Allison Adler (Family Guy)’s adaption of DC comics Supergirl and in parts, Superman, has received a fifth season renewal. The series will also participate in this season’s big annual crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths.
- Supernatural: The CW’s last standing series from when it was still called The WB and had not yet fused with UPN, Supernatural, will come to an end with Season 15. The supernatural series created by Eric Kripke (Timeless) about the monster and demon hunting Winchester brothers (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) will have had a run of 327 episodes when Season 15 finishes.
- The Flash: Greg Berlanti (Doom Patrol), Andrew Kreisberg (Justice League) and Geoff Johns’ (Stargirl) adaption of DC’s The Flash comics, starring Grant Gustin as Barry Allan/The Flash, will enter its sixth season. The series will also be part of the annual big crossover, this year titled as Crisis on Infinite Earths.
- The 100: The post-apocalyptic sci-fi series adaption by Jason Rothenberg of Kass Morgan’s novel series, about repopulating Earth, is currently airing its sixth season. However, Season 7 has already been ordered.
Picked up
ABC
- Emergence: Mystery series created by Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas (Marvel’s Agent Carter) about Long Island’s Peconic Bay police chief Allison Tolman (Good Girls) who finds and takes in a mysterious young girl (Alexa Skye Swinton).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAD2deAqxCE - For Life: A family legal drama from Hank Steinberg (The Last Ship) based upon the life of Isaac Wright, Jr., a wrongfully convicted drug kingpin who got his conviction overturned and became a licensed attorney. Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson is attached as executive producer. Premieres midseason, which means early 2020.
- Mixed-ish: Spin-off prequel comedy series of Black-ish, created by parent series creator Kenya Barris and producer Peter Saji. The prequel is about Rainbow “Bow” Johnson, played by Arica Himmell (God Friended Me), and has narration from Tracee Ellis Ross, who plays the adult Bow on Black-ish. This is like that other spin-off prequel over at CBS, Young Sheldon. Mixed-ish.
- Stumptown: Adaption by Jason Richman (Bangkok Dangerous) of the Oni Press detective comic by Greg Rucka (Batwoman) and Matthew Southworth (The Amazing Spider-Man: The Grim Hunt). Cobie Smulders (The Avengers) stars as Dex Parios, an army veteran who now is a private investigator in Portland, Oregon. Jake Johnson (New Girl) will also star as Grey McConnell.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwynrxEPSQk
- The Baker and the Beauty: Romantic comedy series developed by Dean Georgaris (The Meg), based upon the Israeli series להיות איתה or Beauty and the Baker created by Assi Azar (co-host of the Eurovision Song Contest 2019). Victor Rasuk (Fifty Shades trilogy) stars as Daniel Garcia, a baker in a family bakery in Miami, Florida. One night he meets Nathalie Kelley’s (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) Noa Hamilton, a superstar fashion mogul and Daniel’s life suddenly moves into the spotlights. Premieres midseason.
- United We Fall: Family comedy from Julius Sharpe (Making History) about the parent of two young kids, Christina Vidal (Sneaky Pete) and Will Sasso (The Three Stooges), and their daily trials and tribulations. This gets even hardly thanks to their live-in mother Jane Curtin (3rd Rock From the Sun). Premieres midseason.
CBS
- All Rise: Legal drama created by Greg Spottiswood (King) following judges, prosecutors, and public defenders in Los Angeles, California. The series lead is Simone Missick (Marvel’s Luke Cage) as Judge Lola Carmichael.
- Bob ♡ Abishola: Chuck Lorre’s (The Big Bang Theory) latest comedy series, co-created with Eddie Gorodetsky (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air), Al Higgins (Malcolm in the Middle) and Gina Yashere (Early Man). The series follows Billy Gardell’s (Mike & Molly) Bob who becomes smitten by Folake Olowofoyeku’s (Westworld) hospital nurse A comedic (or rather creepy?) romantic pursuit begins.
- Broke: Comedy from Alex Herschlag (Will & Grace), starring Pauley Perrette (NCIS) who suddenly has to take in her formerly wealthy estranged sister Natasha Leggero (Dice) and her husband Jaime Camil (Jane the Virgin), plus butler (Izzy Diaz). Premieres midseason.
- Carol’s Second Act: Comedy created by Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins (Good Girls), about empty nester and retired teacher Patricia Heaton (The Middle) who now studies to become a medical doctor.
- Evil: Supernatural series created by Robert and Michelle King (The Good Fight). Sceptical psychologist Katja Herbers (Westworld) joins priest Mike Colter (Marvel’s Luke Cage) and contractor Michael Emerson (Person of Interest) in investigating abnormal events.
- FBI: Most Wanted: After a successful backdoor pilot during the latter half of first season series FBI, René Balcer’s (Law & Order) crime drama FBI: Most Wanted has been ordered to series. Julian McMahon (Marvel’s Runaways) leads the FBI’s Fugitive Task Force.
- The Unicorn: Comedy series from Bill Martin and Mike Schiff (3rd Rock From the Sun) about recent widower and father of two daughters Walton Goggins (Ant-Man and The Wasp) and his search for new love.
Fox
- 9-1-1: Lone Star: A spin-off of first responders drama 9-1-1, starring Rob Lowe (Parks and Recreation). Lowe plays a New York City police officer who, together with his son, moves to Austin, Texas. Here he has to balance saving people and solving his personal problems. The spin-off comes from 9-1-1 creators Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story), Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear, with Rob Lowe also serving as co-executive producer.
- Beverly Hills, 90210: Two decades and a follow-up series in 90210 later Beverly Hills, 90210 returns with its original cast of Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green, Tori Spelling and Gabrielle Carteris for six episodes. Luke Perry will not be part of the reunion, as he sadly passed away recently.
- Bless the Hearts: Animated comedy series created by Emily Spivey (The Last Man on Earth), starring the voice talents of Kristen Wiig (Wonder Woman 1984) and Maya Rudolph (Big Mouth) as members of the Hart family, who are poor in money but rich in family and friends.
- Deputy: Modern western series from Will Beall (Castle) starring Stephen Dorff (True Detective) as LA County lawman who suddenly becomes the Sheriff when the previous one suddenly dies. Premieres midseason.
- Filthy Rich: American remake by Tate Taylor (The Help) of comedic New Zealand drama from Gavin Strawhan and Rachel Lang (Bad Mothers). When a rich founder of a Christian television network dies his family is ready to divide the inheritance, but then three unknown family members pop up. Premieres midseason.
- neXt: Techno thriller series from Manny Coto (24) and starring John Slattery (Mad Men) as a tech pioneer that has to stop one of his creations. Premieres midseason.
- Almost Family: American remake from Annie Weisman (I Feel Bad) of Australian family drama Sisters, created by Jonathan Gavin (Cleverman) and Imogen Banks (Offspring). The series follows Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect), Megalyn Echikunwoke (90210) and Emily Osment (Spy Kids 2) who turn out to be half-sisters, when it is revealed that fertility doctor Timothy Hutton (Leverage), to whom their mothers went for help, used his own sperm.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL-gvYvyWgA
- Outmatched: Family comedy from (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), starring Jason Biggs (American Pie) and Maggie Lawson (Psych) as the parent of three genius kids. Premieres midseason.
- Prodigal Son: Crime drama created by Chris Fedak (Chuck) Sam Sklaver (Deception) about young profiler Tom Payne (The Walking Dead) whose father, Michael Sheen (Good Omens), is the notorious serial killer “The Surgeon.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26C6JqBdb20
- The Great North: Animated comedy created by Loren Bouchard (Bob’s Burgers) following the adventures Alaskan family Tobin. Starring a voice cast led by Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation).
NBC
- Bluff City Law: Memphis, Tennessee-set legal drama about an elite law firm. Created by Dean Georgaris (The Meg) and starring Jimmy Smiths (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) as a lawyer who asks his estranged daughter, Caitlin McGee (Grey’s Anatomy), to return home and work for him.
- Council of Dads: TV adaption by Joan Rater and Tony Phelan (Grey’s Anatomy) of Bruce Feiler’s 2010 novel of the same name. The drama series tells the story of a father of two daughters who is diagnosed with cancer. Fearing they will not grow up with his help and advice he and his wife recruit six of his friends to be a Council of Dads. Premieres midseason.
- Indebted: Comedy series from comedian Dan Levy. Young parents Adam Pally (Sonic The Hedgehog) and Abby Elliott (Saturday Night Live) are happy they are getting out of the diapers and sleepless nights phase, when suddenly they have to take in his parents Fran Drescher (The Nanny) and Steven Weber (13 Reasons Why). Premieres midseason.
- Lincoln: Crime drama from Mark Bianculli (The Hunt) and VJ Boyd (S.W.A.T.), based upon Jeffery Deaver’s 1997 novel The Bone Collector, which had a movie adaption in 1999 starring Denzel Washington as quadriplegic forensics expert Lincoln Rhyme and Angelina Jolie as his “extension” Police Officer Amelia Donaghy. In the series Russell Hornsby (Grimm) will play Ryhme and Arielle Kebbel (Midnight, Texas) will be Donaghy. Premieres midseason.
- Perfect Harmony: Church choir comedy created by Nina and Jeremy Bargiel and starring a cast led by Bradley Whitford (Godzilla: King of the Monsters).
- Sunnyside: Kal Penn (Designated Survivor) co-created, along with Matt Murray (The Good Place), and starring comedy series about a former New York City councilman who helps immigrants achieve the American Dream.
- The Kenan Show: Sitcom created and starring Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson as a recent widower with two daughters who has to let in his estranged Andy Garcia (Mamma Mia!) back into his live. Premieres midseason.
- Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: From Austin Winsberg (Gossip Girl) comes a musical drama starring Jane Levy (Suburgatory) as a computer coder in San Francisco, California, who after an accident starts to hear what is going on in other people through songs. Premieres midseason.
The CW
- Batwoman: Spinning off from The CW’s last season’s big annual DC series crossover Elseworlds is the Gotham City-set Batwoman. Adapted from the DC comic of the same name by Caroline Dries (The Vampire Diaries) and Greg Berlanti (all other DC series on The CW), the series looks further into Ruby Rose’s (John Wick Chapter 2) Kate Kane, who dons the mantle of Batwoman after her cousin Bruce Wayne/Batman disappears. Going with the villain and the portrayal of Batwoman it looks like the series will take inspiration from the Batwoman comic run that started in 2011 as part of DC’s “The New 52” initative. The series also stars Camrus Johnson (Marvel’s Luke Cage) as Luke Fox, the son of Batman’s tech supplier Lucius Fox, and in the comics the superhero Batwing. The series will also participate in the next big annual crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrIiPcv4_iY
- Katy Keene: Spin-off of Riverdale and another Archie comics adaption, developed by Archie Comics’ Chief Creative Officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Michael Grassi (Supergirl). Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars) stars as Katy Keene, an aspiring fashion designer in New York City, in this musical and comedic drama. Making the jump from Riverdale is Ashleigh Murray’s Jodie McCoy.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ryc9o-10ZQ
- Nancy Drew: Third TV series adaption of Edward Stratemeyer’s detective novels. This time the series comes from Josh Schwartz (Dynasty), Stephanie Savage (Marvel’s Runaways) and Noga Landau (The Magicians). Kennedy McMann’s (Gone) Nancy Drew is graduated from high school, but when she and four friends are witnesses to a murder plans for college are put on the backburner and solving the mystery takes precedent.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96bZFzpdLmY
And there you have it. A complete list of scripted TV series cancelled, renewed and picked up by the American broadcast networks for Season 2019 – 2020, which begins late September. What are your new picks for the coming season? Let us know below! And keep a look out for our regular Weekly TV news roundups!