It now appears as if S.W.A.T. and East New York were competing for a single available slot on the CBS network. On Friday, when the network shocked everyone with the decision to cancel S.W.A.T., things were looking good as far as a renewal for Season 2 of East New York was concerned.
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on which show fans prefer), CBS realized they made a huge mistake and reversed their decision to cancel S.W.A.T. As a result, however, news just broke in the past hour — via Deadline — that the network had made a decision on whether to cancel or renew East New York for Season 2. Sadly, the series did NOT make the cut.
East New York canceled amid S.W.A.T. renewal at CBS
Per Deadline, Warner Bros. Television and CBS had been involved in lengthy negotiations to decide whether to move forward with another season of East New York. The outlet explained there were several issues to work out including budget and streaming rights for the Paramount platform.
On Friday, it was believed progress had been made when the bombshell dropped that S.W.A.T. had been canceled. Deadline suspects the two were in competition because they were both from outside studios and had the rarity of a “Black lead.”
At the end of it all, East New York was a brand-new series. While S.W.A.T. was arguably more expensive, it was older and had a proven track record with a loyal audience. The passionate fan base and the incredible records ultimately allowed S.W.A.T. to edge out East New York from getting a renewal.
The Season Finale airs soon
Unfortunately, this news means there aren’t many more new episodes for fans of East New York to enjoy. The Season 1 Finale is slated to air this week (on Sunday, May 14th) via CBS. Here’s the official synopsis for the final episode of the series titled, “Ruskin Roulette”:
Haywood’s leadership is called into question after a tragic shooting close to home, and her relationship with Suarez is put to the test.”
Sadly, fans of this new CBS series have no reason to believe the Season 1 Finale will wrap the series up nicely as production was hoping the series would be renewed for an additional season.
Have you been watching East New York on CBS? Are you bummed that the series has been canceled? Or, are you just celebrating S.W.A.T. getting one more season? Let us know in the comments down below. And, keep coming back for more CBS news.