As George Floyd-related protests continue, the Paramount Network has cancelled the the long-running reality show Cops just as its 33rd season was about to premiere.

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

The status of Live PD — which is on hiatus — is still uncertain.

“The long-running Cops premiered on Fox in 1989 and aired for 25 seasons. The show was resurrected in 2013 when Spike TV ordered new episodes. Spike TV rebranded as Paramount Network in 2018, with the docuseries carried over to the new network,” Deadline Hollywood explained.

In a paraphrase of the show’s familiar theme song, Breitbart News quipped about the cancel culture that “Whatcha gonna do when the woke mob comes for you?”

Breitbart added that Paramount intially “yanked the show from its schedule last week as anti-police sentiment crescendoed in the wake of #BlackLivesMatter protests and riots” and the follow-up cancellation comes “as anti-police sentiment continues to sweep through Hollywood following last month’s death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody.”

A lot of people may have been unaware that Cops was even still in production.

In contrast, Live PD is an immensely popular show as reflected by its ratings and social media activity and is a huge moneymaker for the A&E network.

Live PD‘s Twitter feed has been silent since this anti-racism tweet on June 1.

According to Deadline Hollywood, A&E “still is evaluating the right time to bring it back, though a return this weekend appears unlikely at the moment.”

If outright cancellation is on the table, A&E would have to decide whether its more important to satisfy woke pressure groups in the emotionalism of the moment or its huge fan base (i.e., Live PD “Nation,” its employees, its stockholders. and its featured law enforcement agencies.

The police departments that participate in Live PD say the show has improved community relations and has also assisted in recruitment.

Live PD could do a temporary format change (as it did on April 3-4 in pivoting a COVID-19 frame). A roundtable discussion and/or a townhall-type format to discuss police misconduct or whatnot are also possibilities. Whether this would be a CYA effort or substantive is an open question. One way or another, you can expect host Dan Abrams and analysts Tom Morris Jr. and Sean Larkin (plus various interviewees) to discuss the Floyd case and its aftermath in detail.

You can also anticipate A&E writing a big check to a civil rights organization.

Live PD host Dan Abrams insists the show is returning:

Last month, A&E renewed Live PD with an order for 160 episodes.

For new visitors to this blog, check back for weekly show summaries when Live PD returns.

Here’s just a sample of some of the Twitter responses to Abrams’ tweet:

Separately, Live PD is involved in a controversy involving the Williamson County, Tex., Sheriff’s Office, the Austin-based Statesman reported.

“Video filmed by a Live PD crew of an in-custody death of a black man last year has been destroyed and can no longer be turned over to Austin investigators, representatives of the reality TV show said Tuesday…Williamson County sheriff’s deputies attempted to pull Ambler over March 28, 2019, after he failed to dim the headlights of his SUV to oncoming traffic. Twenty-eight minutes later, the 40-year-old black father of two sons lay dying on a North Austin street after deputies held him down and used Tasers on him four times while a crew from A&E’s show Live PD filmed…A&E confirmed Tuesday that ‘video of the tragic death of Javier Ambler captured by body cams worn on the officers involved as well by the producers of Live PD who were riding with certain officers involved.’

“It said that the incident did not occur while the show was airing live and that the video was not broadcast later.

“A&E’s statement said that Austin investigators had not asked for the video or to interview show producers. ‘As is the case with all footage taken by Live PD producers, we no longer retained the unaired footage after learning that the investigation had concluded.’

“A Williamson County internal affairs investigation found deputies did nothing wrong. But Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore, whose office is tasked with investigating Ambler’s death with Austin police detectives…she plans to take the case to a grand jury.

“Moore accused [Sheriff Robert] Chody of stonewalling and refusing to provide evidence.

“Chody on Tuesday called the allegations of stonewalling ‘misleading’ and said commissioners’ calls for his resignation were misinformed and politically motivated….”

As you probably know, Sheriff Chody (who is up for reelection) is getting sued after he re-signed with Live PD without obtaining permission from county commissioners.