East New York: Canceled CBS Series Being Shopped to Other Networks

By Cameron Bonomolo

Network television giveth and network television taketh away: after CBS on Monday renewed S.W.A.T. for a seventh and final season in a reversal of its sudden cancellation, the network canceled cop drama East New York and spy series True Lies after one season. According to Deadline, CBS and producers Warner Bros. Television clashed over the freshman show's budget and additional streaming rights for East New York, which streams alongside other CBS shows on Paramount+. With S.W.A.T.'s cancellation, East's strong linear TV numbers meant the police procedural had a chance of being renewed for season 2 — but when CBS and Sony Pictures Television uncanceled S.W.A.T. at the eleventh hour, that was the killing blow for East New York.

Why Was East New York Canceled?

Deadline reports that both shows were competing for the same renewal slot: with S.W.A.T. and East New York being productions of outside studios (Sony Pictures TV and Warner Bros. TV, respectively) rather than the network's own CBS Studios, S.W.A.T. won out as it has a proven ratings track record and an established fan base that made noise when the show was unceremoniously canceled.

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Is East New York Canceled for Good? Can It Be Saved?

East New York is unlikely to receive the same stay of execution that saved S.W.A.T., according to Deadline, in part because the show was canceled during the WGA Strike that has shuttered writers' rooms and halted work on other productions. 

East New York was canceled after "lengthy and difficult" renewal negotations between Warner Bros. TV and CBS, which sought additional streaming rights beyond Paramount Global's streaming service Paramount+. Warner Bros. TV informally shopped the show around to other networks during talks with CBS, but with media companies "hunkering down" in anticipation of the writers' strike that commenced on May 2nd, the studio failed to find East New York a new home.

The 21-episode first season of East New York stars Amanda Warren as 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.

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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. Her team includes her mentor, shrewd veteran two-star Chief John Suarez (Emmy Award winner Jimmy Smits); Marvin Sandeford (Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson), a highly respected training officer and expert on the neighborhood; Tommy Killian (Kevin Rankin), a detective with some old-school approaches to policing; Capt. Stan Yenko (Richard Kind), Haywood's gregarious and efficient right hand; Crystal Morales (Elizabeth Rodriguez), an intuitive detective who can't be intimidated; Andre Bentley (Lavel Schley), a trainee from an upper middle-class background; and ambitious patrol officer Brandy Quinlan (Olivia Luccardi), the sole volunteer to live in a local housing project as part of Haywood's plan to bridge the gap between police and community. Regina Haywood has a vision: she and the squad of the 74th Precinct will not only serve their community – they'll also become part of it.

Episodes of East New York are streaming now on Paramount+. 

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