AceShowbiz - Law & Order: Organized Crime and multiple other NBC series have been canceled ahead of the 2026-2027 TV season, marking a significant programming shakeup for the network.

In May 2025, NBC surprised viewers by canceling a slate of shows including Lopez vs. Lopez, Night Court, Found, The Irrational, and Suits LA. While the network renewed The Hunting Party and Brilliant Minds, the latter was canceled after its second season, and Grosse Pointe Garden Society failed to secure a renewal after being on the bubble. This left only a few freshman programs surviving the cuts.

The extensive cancellations coincide with NBC’s recent 11-year, nearly $2.5 billion per year deal to broadcast NBA games. This deal commits NBC to air up to 100 regular-season basketball games annually, which has limited the network’s capacity for original scripted programming in the fall lineup.

One of the most notable cancellations is Law & Order: Organized Crime, a spinoff of the long-running Law & Order franchise. The series, which debuted in 2021, followed Elliot Stabler, reprised by Chris Meloni after his departure from Law & Order: SVU. However, the show struggled with multiple changes behind the scenes. It experienced six different showrunners across five seasons, including Matt Olmstead, Ilene Chaiken, Barry O’Brien, Bryan Goluboff, Sean Jablonski, and David Graziano. John Shiban took over for the fourth season but left during production of the fifth before the cancellation was confirmed in April 2026.

The instability in leadership, alongside shifting network priorities, contributed to the decision to end the series after its fifth season.

Other long-running NBC shows also faced cancellations: Access Daily and Access Hollywood were canceled after 30 years on air, Karamo after season four, The Kelly Clarkson Show after seven seasons, and The Steve Wilkos Show after 19 seasons. The freshman show Stumble was canceled after its first season.

Despite these cancellations, NBC renewed a limited number of series to continue its lineup, but the overall trend shows a clear pivot towards accommodating the NBA’s extensive sports programming.

These moves highlight the competitive challenges networks face balancing popular scripted content with lucrative sports deals. Fans of the canceled shows will need to look elsewhere for new favorites as NBC restructures its schedule.

Meanwhile, other networks have also experienced significant changes. For example, CBS’s Fire Country underwent a surprising showrunner change in early 2026, with Tia Napolitano departing after helping establish the show as a top series.

The cancellation wave at NBC comes amid a difficult year for television overall. For instance, Netflix canceled Boots just two months after its premiere in 2026. The show, based on Greg Cope White’s memoir, chronicled the story of Cameron (played by Miles Heizer) and his friend Ray (Liam Oh) as they joined the U.S. Marine Corps in the 1990s.

As NBC prepares for the 2026-2027 season, the network’s programming slate will look markedly different. The loss of beloved series, especially high-profile titles like Law & Order: Organized Crime, marks the end of an era for many viewers.

With the NBA deal shaping much of NBC’s future schedule, the network will likely focus on sports and a smaller selection of scripted shows that align with its new strategic goals. The full impact on fans and the television landscape remains to be seen as the upcoming season unfolds.

Stay tuned for more updates on TV show renewals, cancellations, and behind-the-scenes shifts as the 2026-2027 season approaches.