“Cops” Is Back After Being Canceled Last Year
Last June, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the Black Lives Matter protests, the Paramount Network canceled Cops after 32 seasons. Phew, right? Sigh, wrong. The streaming service Fox Nation (a spin-off from Fox News, but of course) just announced that they’re dragging Cops back from hell; they’ve picked it up for a 33rd season, and it will premiere on October 1. So let me get this straight: we permanently lost canceled-too-soon classics like GLOW, Happy Endings, and Santa Clarita Diet (OK, “classic” is a strong word for that last one, but it was… fine), but they bring back Cops? COPS?!?!
Cops originally aired on FOX beginning in 1989. Then it jumped over to Spike TV, which was rebranded as the Paramount Network in 2018. Fox Nation says four new episodes will premiere on October 1, and after that new eps will be released every Friday. Fox Nation is offering a free one-year subscription to first responders, including cops (duh), firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics. Now, this isn’t a huge surprise. Last October the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Cops had resumed production. So we knew that they were filming. But, at the time, a Cops producer told Deadline that the new episodes would only be aired outside of the U.S., for international territories only. Clearly, that did not last.
Fox Nation President Jason Klarman announced the show’s return in this statement (via People):
“Cops is one of the most iconic brands on television with an incredibly passionate fan base. We wanted to show our appreciation to all first responders by combining the launch with a free one-year subscription to give back in a small way to those who place their lives on the line every day to keep us safe.”
Hmmm… does Fox Nation announcing Cops’ return (featuring an extra helping of “we love our first responders”) on the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 seem super fishy? Or am I just a cynical bitch? Perhaps both can be true.
Pic: YouTube