CBS Cancels Two New Hit Series After Just One Season

Two of CBS' newest pilots have bit the dust. On Monday, reports revealed that both True Lies and East New York have been cancelled after only one season on the network. According to reports, the cancellation came after CBS and Warner Bros. Television tried to negotiate bringing the shows' budgets down. CBS also reportedly asked for the casts of the shows to not get the customary pay increases that would come with Season 2. This comes after CBS' long-running sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola demoted eleven of its series regulars to recurring status, in order to prevent the need for pay cuts.

What was True Lies about?

True Lies followed Harry Tasker (Steve Howey), a first-class international spy for U.S. intelligence agency Omega Sector, and his wife, Helen (Ginger Gonzaga), a language professor bored with her daily routine, who makes the shocking discovery that her seemingly ordinary husband is leading an extraordinary double life. With the secret out, Omega recruits Helen, who impresses everyone and joins Harry and his team. They embark on covert missions around the globe, all while keeping their adventures a secret from their two teenage children.

What was East New York about?

East New York followed deputy inspector Regina Haywood, the newly promoted boss of the 74th Precinct in East New York, a working-class neighborhood on the edge of Brooklyn in the midst of social upheaval and the early seeds of gentrification. With family ties to the area, Haywood is determined to deploy creative methods to protect her beloved community with the help of her officers and detectives. But first, she has the daunting task of getting them on board, as some are skeptical of her promotion, and others resist the changes she is desperate to make.

The series also starred Jimmy Smits as John Suarez, Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Marvin Sandeford, Kevin Rankin as Tommy Killian, Richard Kind as Stan Yenko, Elizabeth Rodriguez as Crystal Morales, Lavel Schley as Andre Bentley and Olivia Luccardi as Brandy Quinlan.

What are CBS' new and renewed shows?

CBS series to be renewed for the new 2023-2024 season include freshman drama Fire Country, freshman comedy So Help Me Todd, and beloved comedies Ghosts, The Neighborhood, and Bob Hearts Abishola. Young Sheldon, The Equalizer, and the FBI franchise have also already been renewed for multiple seasons on the network. Survivor, The Amazing Race, Lingo, Tough as Nails, 48 Hours, 60 Minutes, CSI: Vegas, NCIS, and NCIS: Hawai'i will also all be returning in the 2023-2024 run. CBS also recently made headlines for the decision to reverse the cancellation of SWAT, and instead renew the series for a final season.

In terms of new shows, CBS has given pilot orders to Elsbeth, a spinoff of The Good Fight, as well as a Kathy Bates-led reboot of Matlock.